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Internal review: Policies and research used as evidence

Reference: 24-25546R

Date response sent: 09/04/2025

Details of enquiry

Date review requested: 21 March 2025

Summary of original 3 requests for information: 24-25546/1, 24-25546/2, 24-25546/3

Requests for any polices regarding dissociative identity disorder/multiple personality disorder which the Trust has, the research used to form these policies, any policies the trust has regard gender incongruence or gender dysphoria and the research used to form these policies. Of special interest is any policies or research or guidance held by the Trust that pertain to DID and gender incongruence together.

Details of the original 3 requests / responses

(i.e. the exemptions used and the reasons for the decision, including Public interest test, if appropriate.)

The FOI team responded on 3 separate occasions to the 3 separate requests and the responses were;

  1. Any polices regarding dissociative identity disorder/multiple personality disorder the trust has,

The Trust confirms that it does not have any specific policies regarding dissociative identity disorder nor personality disorder

  1. And the research used to form these policies,

Not applicable – see our response to Q1 above

  1. any policies the trust has regard gender incongruence or gender dysphoria

The Trust confirms that it does not have any specific policies regarding gender incongruence nor gender dysphoria

  1. and the the research used to form these policies.

Not applicable – see our response to Q1 above

  1. I would be especially interested if you have any policies or research related to that pertain to DID and gender incongruence together

The Trust confirms that it does not have any specific policies or research related to Dissociative identity disorder (DID) and gender incongruence together

In an additional question about any guidance used by the Trust in this matter, the Trust responded on 20.03.25 ; there are no NHS guidelines for the specific co-occurrence of Gender Dysphoria and DID

Reason given by the requestor for requesting a review

The requestor had been advised to request an internal review of the following:

  1. Policies being referenced in a complaint but when I asked the FOI team for any policies pertaining to the subject matter I am told they do not exist.
  2. Departments holding this information and refusing to provide this information prior to and following these FOI requests. .
  3. The veracity of the existence of these policies mentioned in the original complaint report.

Point 3 above is not within the scope of this review as it can only deal with the Trust’s handling of the FOI requests and not the complaint.

Response sent

Review conducted by: Clinical Lead – Children and Families Unit
Findings issued: 9 April 2025

Decision made: Findings of internal review

(if the complaint relates to non-disclosure of requested information. Please include the rationale behind the decision)

I uphold the original responses sent by the FOI in response to the 3 requests made; that there is no relevant information to disclose.

I am satisfied that the 3 responses from the FOI team (on the two dates 14.03.25 and 20.03.25 – two responses made on the latter date) were all factually correct and that:

  1. the Trust does not have any specific policies regarding dissociative identity disorder nor personality disorder
  2. the Trust does not have any specific policies regarding gender incongruence nor gender dysphoria
  3. the Trust does not have any specific policies or research related to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and gender incongruence together
  4. there are no NHS guidelines for the specific co-occurrence of Gender Dysphoria and DID

This decision is based on my reading of all of the information (emails) relating to this matter. In addition I have;

  1. paid particular attention to the responses to the FOI team subsequent to receiving the original request, from the Adult Services Lead Clinician and separately, from the Director of Therapies.
  2. made my own enquiries from the Clinical Lead Consultant for GIC who has confirmed that the Trust does not hold such policies.
  3. To clarify the possible contradiction in the responses from the complaints department and the FOI team response (as alleged by the requestor), I have been in contact with the complaints department and their response has given me no grounds to doubt that there has been no inconsistency in the views of the different departments in the Trust.
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