Patient Deaths Reported in Q4 2021/22 Data Sweep
Reference: 25-26337
Date response sent: 10/11/2025
Details of enquiry
I am requesting updated and specific information regarding the “large number of SIs [Serious Incidents] as part of a large data sweep” in Gender services, which was reported in the Board of Directors Meeting Papers for 26 July 2022 (specifically, Agenda Item 4, Serious Incident Quarterly Report, noted on Page 25.
This item stated that 22 patient safety incidents, mostly deaths, were discovered but the cause of deaths were still awaiting Coroner’s reports. As you will now have received the reports, please provide the following breakdown
- What is the final total number of patient deaths from this specific Q4 2021/22 data sweep cohort that the Trust has accounted for?
- Of the total patient deaths accounted for:
a. – How many have been confirmed or recorded as suicides?
b. – How many patients were recorded as being under 18 years of age at the time of death?
c. – How many patients were recorded as being under 25 years of age (but 18 or older) at the time of death?
d. – How many were Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) patients,
e. how many were Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) patients,
f. and how many were GIDS patients who were then aged out of the service?
3. Do the patient numbers include those on waiting lists for appointments or treatment?
Response sent
In our response to your questions below, we have masked low numbers as the symbol ‘≤5’, which indicates where numbers are equal to 5 or less than 5. Guidance from the Information Commissioner’s office advises not to provide data where numbers are smaller than 6 as this may lead to identification of individuals.
For this reason and in accordance with The Common Law Duty of Confidentiality,(which restricts the identification of individuals who may have received services from the Trust), masking of low numbers is fundamental to the way the NHS operates, and extends beyond the death of individuals:
The Trust recognises a high level of interest from public in how the public purse is spent on services, and must balance this against disclosure of small numbers and the years in which deaths occurred, which – whilst not directly identifying individuals, would nevertheless give rise to a disclosure of personal data, as follows:
- We are a small Trust which provides gender and mental health services. There is a high chance of recognition/identification of particular individuals/patients by fellow patients or others from any very low numbers.
- This masking of low numbers is not just a question of considering the means reasonably likely to be used by general public, but also the means likely to be used by a determined person with a particular reason to want to identify individuals from data in the public domain now or in the future, and/or gained from other sources.
- What is the final total number of patient deaths from this specific Q4 2021/22 data sweep cohort that the Trust has accounted for?
The Trust confirms that the 22 patient safety incidents noted in that report occurred prior to the reporting period and were recording in Q4 as historical deaths, that were not previously reported, and to which the Trust was alerted by third party agencies during Q4 2021/22.
The final total number of patient deaths from this specific Q4 2021/22 data sweep cohort that the Trust conducted was ≤5’
- Of the total patient deaths accounted for:
a. – How many have been confirmed or recorded as suicides?
≤5’
b. – How many patients were recorded as being under 18 years of age at the time of death?
0
c. – How many patients were recorded as being under 25 years of age (but 18 or older) at the time of death?
≤5
d. – How many were Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) patients,
0
e. how many were Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) patients,
≤5
f. and how many were GIDS patients who were then aged out of the service?
≤5
- ’Do the patient numbers include those on waiting lists for appointments or treatment?
Yes
Please be advised that the exact data you have requested may already be publicly available under other legal regimes
The Trust recognises that some or all of the mortality data you have requested might already be in the public domain, published under a different legal framework. This does not affect the Trust’s belief and adherence to the principles of confidentiality after death, as set our above.
In order to be helpful to you, I have provided below examples of potentially alternative sources of the data you have requested.
- Whilst there is no equivalent statutory provision in relation to social care records, local authorities generally provide access to social care records through the Freedom of Information Act.
- Whenever inquests are held, linked to a Prevention of Future Deaths report (Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths), the name of the deceased is published and placed into the public domain by a coroner, though this does not cover every death in the country.
- The data you seek might be reachable via either of the following publicly available links; one shows data by name of the deceased, and the other shows a listing by Trust.
- Reports to Prevent Future Deaths – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary searchable by deceased’s name, and includes where an organisation may have responded
Searchable by any of the fields which can be sorted into alphabetical order, by clicking on any column header. Also available for reuse as a purchase.