Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 154-2026
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
1. Since 2016, how many civil cases have been brought against GHC Trust and its predecessor MH services? Please also state the 1st and last years for the last 5 civil claims (e.g. the last 5 civil cases were between 2020 and 2026).
Our response:
The Trust holds records of civil claims received from 2020 onwards. Based on the records held, the Trust has received 86 civil claims during the period 2020 to 2026. The last five civil claims fall within the period 2020 to 2026.
The breakdown of claims received is as follows:
| YEAR | Claims received |
| 2026 | 2 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2021 | 24 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| Total | 86 |
Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Trust confirms that it does not hold claim information prior to 2020. Please see the response to question 6 for further explanation.
You asked:
2. Please state how much, in total for each period, has been paid out to settle civil cases (regardless of acceptance of liability) between 2016-2021 & 2022-2026. This is understood to originate from taxpayer funding; please clarify if this is not the case.
Our response:
The Trust does not hold recorded information showing the total amounts paid to settle civil cases for the periods 2016–2021 and 2022–2026. Claims and associated compensation information may be held by NHS Resolution, which manages claims on behalf of NHS organisations.
Under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, by way of advice and assistance, you may wish to redirect this part of your request to NHS Resolution. NHS Resolution can be contacted by email at nhsr.foi@nhs.net.
You asked:
3. Please state how much has been paid to external lawyers, distinguishing between solicitor firms and chambers for barristers, between 2016-2021 & 2022-2026.
Our response:
The Trust does not hold recorded information showing payments to external lawyers in the breakdown requested, namely distinguishing between solicitor firms and barristers’ chambers for the periods 2016–2021 and 2022–2026. Information about legal costs associated with claims may be held by NHS Resolution, which manages claims on behalf of NHS organisations.
Under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, by way of advice and assistance, you may wish to redirect this part of your request to NHS Resolution. NHS Resolution can be contacted by email at nhsr.foi@nhs.net.
You asked:
4. Where possible, please identify the beneficiaries of such payments that are understood to originate from taxpayer/public funds (e.g. Bevan Brittan).
Our response:
You asked:
5. Please clarify if this funding does not originate from taxpayer/public funding.
Our response:
The Trust does not hold recorded information confirming the original source of funding for these payments. Where claims are managed through NHS Resolution, NHS Resolution may be able to provide further information about the relevant claims handling or indemnity arrangements.
Under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, by way of advice and assistance, you may wish to redirect this part of your request to NHS Resolution. NHS Resolution can be contacted by email at nhsr.foi@nhs.net.
You asked:
6. Who is the controlling authority for data from 2gether Trust?
Our response:
Our response:
Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust is the current NHS Trust formed following organisational changes involving 2gether NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust is therefore the relevant public authority for the purposes of responding to this request where recorded information is held by the Trust. However, the Trust’s Legal Services Team does not hold civil claims data dating back to 2016. The information held by the Legal Services Team is limited to claims records from approximately 2020 onwards.
The Trust is unable to confirm whether any earlier claims records were transferred to the Trust and subsequently disposed of, or whether they remained with another organisation. We therefore do not consider it appropriate to speculate as to the location of any records not held by the Trust.
Claims records are subject to applicable retention requirements and are not retained indefinitely.
For clarity, the Trust’s response is based on the recorded information held by the Trust at the date of this request.
Next steps:
Should you have any queries in relation to our response, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are unhappy with the response you have received in relation to your request and wish to ask us to review our response, you should write to:
Louise Moss
Head of Legal Services / Associate Director of Corporate Governance
c/o Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Jenner Court
1010 Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester Business Park
Brockworth, GL3 4AW
E-mail: louise.moss@ghc.nhs.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of any review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice/guidance. Generally, the ICO will not consider your case unless you have exhausted your enquiries with the Trust which should include considering the use of the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.