Dear Freedom of Information Team,
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request information relating to violence, aggression and threats towards healthcare staff working in prison healthcare services provided by your organisation.
This request is made in support of the SMARTSTAFF (Safety, Mental Health and Retention of Healthcare Staff in UK Prisons) study, led by the University of Nottingham (Ethics reference number FMHS 227-0825). The study aims to improve understanding of the safety, wellbeing and job satisfaction of healthcare professionals working in prisons and to identify opportunities to improve staff support and retention. Further information is available here: https://institutemh.org.uk/research/forensic-research-nottingham/frn-research/1921-smartstaff-safety-mental-health-and-job-satisfaction-of-prison-healthcare-staff.
I would be grateful if you could provide the following information for each financial year from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2026 (or the most recent six-year period for which data are available).
1. Violence and aggression incidents
Please provide the number of reported incidents involving healthcare staff working within prison healthcare services that were classified as:
Physical assault
Attempted physical assault
Verbal abuse
Threatening behaviour
Racial or other discriminatory abuse
Sexual assault or sexual harassment
Other violence and aggression incidents (if separately recorded)
2. Staff injuries
For the same period, please provide:
The number of incidents resulting in injury to a healthcare staff member.
The number of incidents resulting in sickness absence.
The total number of working days lost because of violence or aggression, if recorded.
3. Serious incidents
Please provide, where available:
The number of incidents requiring police attendance.
The number of RIDDOR-reportable incidents.
The number of incidents involving a weapon or improvised weapon.
4. Location
If your organisation provides healthcare services in more than one prison, please provide the above information broken down by prison establishment where possible.
5. Workforce denominator
Please provide, for each financial year: The average number (or whole-time equivalent) of healthcare staff employed to deliver prison healthcare services.
6. Incident recording
Please indicate:
The incident reporting system used (for example, IR1s/Datix or another system).
Whether prison healthcare incidents are identifiable separately from incidents occurring in other healthcare settings.
Any changes to incident recording practices during the requested period that may affect interpretation of the data.
If any of the requested information is held but cannot be provided in full, I would be grateful if you could supply the information that is available and explain any exemptions applied. If extracting all six years of data would exceed the cost limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, I would be happy to refine the request—for example, by reducing the time period or limiting the request to physical assaults and threats. I would appreciate receipt of the information electronically in a spreadsheet format (e.g. Excel or CSV), where possible.
Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your response within the statutory 20 working days.
Yours faithfully,
Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 288-2026
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
For each financial year from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2026 (or the most recent six-year period for which data are available).
1. Violence and aggression incidents
Please provide the number of reported incidents involving healthcare staff working within prison healthcare services that were classified as:
Physical assault
Attempted physical assault
Verbal abuse
Threatening behaviour
Racial or other discriminatory abuse
Sexual assault or sexual harassment
Other violence and aggression incidents (if separately recorded)
2. Staff injuries
For the same period, please provide:
The number of incidents resulting in injury to a healthcare staff member.
The number of incidents resulting in sickness absence.
The total number of working days lost because of violence or aggression, if recorded.
3. Serious incidents
Please provide, where available:
The number of incidents requiring police attendance.
The number of RIDDOR-reportable incidents.
The number of incidents involving a weapon or improvised weapon.
4. Location
If your organisation provides healthcare services in more than one prison, please provide the above information broken down by prison establishment where possible.
5. Workforce denominator
Please provide, for each financial year: The average number (or whole-time equivalent) of healthcare staff employed to deliver prison healthcare services.
6. Incident recording
Please indicate:
The incident reporting system used (for example, IR1s/Datix or another system).
Whether prison healthcare incidents are identifiable separately from incidents occurring in other healthcare settings.
Our response:
Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust does not provide healthcare services within any prison establishment and does not employ healthcare staff to deliver prison healthcare services. Accordingly, the Trust does not hold the information requested and is unable to provide the data requested under sections 1 to 6 of your 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.moss20@nhs.net
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.
