Freedom of Information Request – Ref: GHC-11102025-774058
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
Please provide the number of patients absconding from secure mental health wards for the years: – 2020 – 2021 – 2022 – 2023 – 2024 – 2025
- This should include incidents in which patients vanish from units or fail to return from authorised periods of leave.
Our response:
The term “secure” is somewhat vague, therefore the Trust has taken it to mean units that comply with Health Building Note 03-01 Supplement 1: Medium and low secure mental health facilities for adults.
The figures with the above in mind are as follows:
| Financial year | Patients absconding or failing to return |
| 2020-21 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 3 |
All other wards or units within the Trust are either open wards or not within the meaning of “secure” as per Health Building Note 03-01 Supplement 1: Medium and low secure mental health facilities for adults.
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.