FOI / EIR Reference number: 91490
Freedom of Information Team
Suite 6, Carew House
Beacon Technology Park
Dunmere Road
Bodmin
PL31 2QN
Call 01208 834 496
Email cpn-tr.freedomofinformation@nhs.net
Date: 14 August 2025
To whom it may concern
Freedom Of Information Act 2000
Thank you for your request for information as detailed below, together with our reply.
Please provide Electro Convulsive Treatment (ECT) information under the FOI act to the following questions:
1. Please supply patient’s information ECT leaflet.
Answer: Information previously released under FOI 90174.
2. Please supply patient ECT consent form.
Answer: Information previously released under FOI 90174.
3. Please supply any ECT reports / investigations.
Answer: The Trust is exempt from providing the requested information in accordance with section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act as internal reports may contain information from which individuals may be identified. However, if you are aware of a certain report that you would like to receive please submit a further freedom of information request and the Trust will determine if it is able to provide it.
4. How many ECT in 2024?
Answer: 19 patients were treated.
5. What proportion of patients were men / women?
Answer:
-
Men: 4
-
Women:15
6. How old were they?
Answer: 46-81 years old.
7. What proportion of patients were classified people of the global majority or racialised communities ("POC / BAME")?
Answer: 1.
8. How many people covered by the equality act - specific protected characteristics - excluding age + gender - received ECT?
Answer: Of the 19 distinct count of patients, all were covered by the Equality Act. The Trust is unable to provide a breakdown by protected characteristic as this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as it constitutes personal information and disclosure of such would breach an individual’s confidentiality.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are not obliged, under section 40(2) of the Act, to provide the information requested, that is the personal information of another person if releasing would contravene provisions in the Data Protection Act.
9. How many people were offered talking therapy prior to ECT?
Answer: All 19 patients.
10. How many were receiving ECT for the first time?
Answer: 9.
11. How many patients consented to ECT?
Answer: 15.
12. How many ECT complaints were investigated outside the NHS?
Answer: The Trust does not hold information on the number of complaints investigated outside of the NHS.
13. How many patients died during or 1 month after ECT and what was the cause (whether or not ECT was considered the cause)?
Answer: The Trust is not always advised directly of the death of a patient, nor the cause of the death, and hence the information, if collected, may not provide the information requested.
14. How many patients died within 6 months after ECT and what was the cause (whether or not ECT was considered the cause)?
Answer: Please see answer to question 13.
15. How many patients died by suicide within 6 months of receiving ECT (whether or not ECT was considered the cause)?
Answer: The Coroner determines how an individual has died. The Trust is not always made aware of the outcome of an inquest.
16. How many patients have suffered complications during and after ECT and what were those complications (regarding the people in your Trust's care for the year 2024)?
Answer: None.
17. Have there been any formal complaints from patients / relatives about ECT?
Answer: No.
18. If so, what was their concerns?
Answer: Not applicable, please see answer to question 17.
19. How many patients report memory loss / loss of cognitive function (regarding the people in your Trust's care for the year 2024)?
Answer: As patients often have memory loss prior to ever receiving ECT due to their diagnosis and symptoms they are already experiencing, this question is very complicated and would need to consider many factors such as was their memory loss prior to starting treatment, and memory loss noted after treatment was commenced. If it was after treatment commenced, was it a side effect of ECT or caused by other factors in the person's life. Then was their memory loss following completion of a course of ECT while they are still under review by our service.
Collating this information would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ as defined in The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulation 2004 SI 2004 No 3244. Under Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this information is exempt as a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.
20. What tests are used to assess memory loss / loss of cognitive function?
Answer: Mini Ace and Part 17 of the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS).
21. Have MRI or CT scans been used before and after ECT?
Answer: MRI or CT scans would only be requested, before treatment, if a history of neurological/physiological problems had been identified. MRI and CT scans are not usually required following a course of treatment.
22. If so, what was the conclusion?
Answer: Not applicable.
23. How does the Trust plan to prevent ECT in the future?
Answer: Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust does not plan to prevent ECT.
Please provide restraints information under the FOI act to the following questions:
1. Please supply any restraints / investigations.
Answer: The Trust is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as releasing any internal investigation reports will contain information that constitutes personal information and may make individuals personally identifiable.
2. How many restraints in 2024?
Answer: 866 episodes in 864 incidents (103 distinct count of patients).
3. What proportion of patients were men / women?
Answer:
-
40% male
-
59% female
-
1% unknown
4. How old were they?
Answer:
-
16 and under: 7
-
20 and under: 9
-
20 - 30 years: 12
-
30 - 40 years: 13
-
40 - 50 years: 10
-
50+ years: 52
Please note that not all patients have an age recorded in the incident system.
5. What proportion of patients were classified people of the global majority or racialised communities ("POC / BAME")?
Answer: 5%.
6. How many people covered by the equality act - specific protected characteristics - excluding age + gender - were restrained?
Answer: Of the 103 distinct count of patients, all were covered by the Equality Act. The Trust is unable to provide a breakdown by protected characteristic as this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as it constitutes personal information and disclosure of such would breach an individual’s confidentiality.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are not obliged, under section 40(2) of the Act, to provide the information requested, that is the personal information of another person if releasing would contravene provisions in the Data Protection Act.
7. How many restraints were investigated outside the NHS?
Answer: The Trust does not hold information on the number of restraints investigated outside of the NHS.
8. How many patients died during or 1 month after restraints and what was the cause (whether or not restraints were considered the cause)?
Answer: The Trust is not always advised directly of the death of a patient, nor the cause of the death, and hence the information, if collected, may not provide the information requested.
9. How many patients died within 6 months after restraints and what was the cause (whether or not restraints were considered the cause)?
Answer: Please see answer to question 8.
10. How many patients died by suicide within 6 months of receiving restraints (whether or not restraints were considered the cause)?
Answer: The Coroner determines how an individual has died. The Trust is not always made aware of the outcome of an inquest.
11. How many patients have suffered complications during and after restraints and what were those complications? (regarding the people in your Trust's care for the year 2024).
Answer: To collate the information requested would require the review of 864 separate incidents and cross reference with 103 patient records which would take approximately 30 minutes per record and exceed the appropriate time limit as defined in The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulation 2004 SI 2004 No 3244. Under Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this information is exempt as a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.
12. Have there been any formal complaints from patients / relatives about restraints?
Answer: The Trust does not record ‘restraints’ as a category from which it can report.
13. If so, what was their concerns?
Answer: Please see answer to question 12.
14. Are counts of forced injections available? If so, how many people were forcible injected?
Answer: Rapid tranquilisation is reported through the incident system. The incident system does not differentiate between planned or emergency use. Rapid tranquilisation was used in 220 of the 866 cases.
15. How does the Trust plan to reduce restraints in the future?
Answer: The Trust is working to further develop the Positive Behaviour Support Academy with currently 3 trained practitioners, 2 students and 2 staff looking to start the course. Further to this the trust has 10 staff working clinically as managing aggression and violence (MAV) links who are GSA qualified with a focus on supporting nursing teams to work in the least restrictive manner, the plan is that the MAV link role will feed into the Positive Behaviour Support practitioner writing plans with a focus on primary strategies to reduce restraint by following trends in data streams. Plans are also being devised to have the MAV links out of numbers so that they can respond dynamically to unfolding incidents so that best practice can be followed and to lead on least restrictive options.
16. How many of these restraints were face down restraints?
Answer: 3.
Please provide seclusions information under the FOI act to the following questions:
1. Please supply any seclusion reports / investigations
Answer: The Trust is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as releasing any internal investigation reports will contain information that constitutes personal information and may make individuals personally identifiable.
2. How many seclusions in 2024?
Answer: 32 incidents of seclusion (20 distinct count of patients).
3. What proportion of patients were men/women?
Answer:
-
65% male
-
35% female
4. How old were they?
Answer:
-
16 And Under: 7
-
20 And Under: 2 (less than 5)
-
20 - 30 Years: 3 (less than 5)
-
30 - 40 Years: 2 (less than 5)
-
40 - 50 Years: 5 (less than 5)
-
50+ Years: 1 (less than 5)
5. What proportion of patients were classified people of the global majority or racialised communities ("POC / BAME")?
Answer: 10%.
6. How many people covered by the equality act - specific protected characteristics - excluding age + gender - were secluded?
Answer: Of the 20 distinct count of patients, all were covered by the equality act. The Trust is unable to provide a breakdown by protected characteristic as this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as it constitutes personal information and disclosure of such would breach an individual’s confidentiality.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are not obliged, under section 40(2) of the Act, to provide the information requested, that is the personal information of another person if releasing would contravene provisions in the Data Protection Act.
7. How many seclusions were investigated outside the NHS?
Answer: The Trust does not hold information on the number of seclusions investigated outside of the NHS.
8. How many patients died during or 1 month after seclusion and what was the cause (whether or not seclusion was considered the cause)?
Answer: Answer: The Trust is not always advised directly of the death of a patient, nor the cause of the death, and hence the information, if collected, may not provide the information requested.
9. How many patients died within 6 months after seclusion and what was the cause (whether or not seclusion was considered the cause)?
Answer: Please see answer to question 8.
10. How many patients died by suicide within 6 months of receiving seclusion (whether or not seclusion was considered the cause)?
Answer: The Coroner determines how an individual has died. The Trust is not always made aware of the outcome of an inquest.
11. How many patients have suffered complications during and after seclusion and what were those complications? (regarding the people in your Trust's care for the year 2024).
Answer: To collate the information requested would require the review of 32 separate incidents and cross reference with 20 patient records which would take approximately 30 minutes per record and therefore exceed the appropriate time limit
as defined in The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulation 2004 SI 2004 No 3244. Under Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this information is exempt as a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.
12. Have there been any formal complaints from patients / relatives about seclusion?
Answer: The Trust does not record seclusion as a category from which it can report.
13. If so, what was their concerns?
Answer: Please see answer to question 12.
14. How does the Trust plan to reduce seclusions in the future?
Answer: The Trust is part of the National Patient Safety Improvement programme for reducing the incidence of restrictive practice in inpatient mental health and learning disability services. Further information about the programme is available via this link https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-improvement-programmes/#MHSIP
Please provide medication errors information under the FOI act to the following questions:
1. Please supply any medication errors reports / investigations.
Answer: The Trust is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Internal investigation reports will contain information that constitutes personal information and may make individuals personally identifiable.
2. How many medication errors in 2024?
Answer: 1,493 (649 distinct count of patients).
3. What proportion of patients were men / women?
Answer:
-
45% male
-
54% female
-
2% unknown
4. How old were they?
Answer:
-
16 and under: 25
-
20 and under: 40
-
20 - 30 years: 7
-
30 - 40 years: 56
-
40 - 50 years: 52
-
50+ years: 469
5. What proportion of patients were classified people of the global majority or racialised communities ("POC / BAME")?
Answer: 7.82%.
6. How many people covered by the equality act - specific protected characteristics - excluding age + gender - endured medication errors?
Answer: Of the 649 distinct count of patients, all were covered by the Equality Act. The Trust is unable to provide a breakdown by protected characteristic as this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as it constitutes personal information and disclosure of such would breach an individual’s confidentiality.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are not obliged, under section 40(2) of the Act, to provide the information requested, that is the personal information of another person if releasing would contravene provisions in the Data Protection Act.
.
7. How many medication errors were investigated outside the NHS?
Answer: The Trust does not hold information on the number of medication errors investigated outside of the NHS.
8. How many patients died during or 1 month after medication errors and what was the cause (whether or not medication errors were considered the cause)?
Answer: The Trust is not always advised directly of the death of a patient, nor the cause of the death, and hence the information, if collected, may not provide the information requested.
9. How many patients died within 6 months after medication errors and what was the cause (whether or not medication errors were considered the cause)?
Answer: Please see answer to question 8.
10. How many patients died by suicide within 6 months of receiving medication errors (whether or not medication errors were considered the cause)?
Answer: The Coroner determines how an individual has died. The Trust is not always made aware of the outcome of an inquest.
11. How many patients have suffered complications during and after medication errors and what were those complications? (regarding the people in your Trust's care for the year 2024).
Answer: To collate the information requested would require the review of 1,493 separate incidents and cross reference with 649 patient records which would take approximately 30 minutes per record and exceed the appropriate time limit as defined in The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulation 2004 SI 2004 No 3244. Under Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this information is exempt as a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.
12. Have there been any formal complaints from patients / relatives about medication errors?
Answer: 3 from 1 April 2023 to date (only 1 of 3 complaints were fully upheld).
13. If so, what was their concerns?
Answer: Side effects, consent, and miscommunication.
14. How does the Trust plan to prevent medication errors in the future?
Answer: The Trust has a designated Medication Safety group which has wide participation across many healthcare professionals. The Trust investigate each individual incident and have a Trust action plan for trending events for quality improvement-based interventions. There has been an increase in pharmacy presence on wards to support provision of medication, clinical input, and counselling to patients in the last 24 months. There is a plan to support community-based practice with increased pharmacy medication safety support.
If you have any further queries, please contact me.
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If you are not satisfied with the response to your request, you have the right to request an internal review, which must be submitted within forty working days of receipt of our response.
The handling of your request will be looked at by someone who was not responsible for the original case, and they will decide as to whether your request was managed correctly. We aim to provide a response within twenty working days, however in certain complex cases this may be extended by an additional twenty working days.
If you would like to request a review, write to: Head of Information Governance, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Suite 6, Carew House, Beacon Technology Park, Dunmere Road, Bodmin, PL31 2QN.
If you remain dissatisfied, after an internal review decision, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner’s Office. The commissioner is an independent regulator who has the power to direct the Trust to respond to your request differently, if it is considered that your request was managed incorrectly. Write to: Information Commissioners, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
The Trust continually strives to provide the best possible service to people who request information using the Freedom of Information Act 2000 legislation, or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. To help achieve this, the Trust would be most grateful if you would complete and return a satisfaction survey via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/Xtj5e98Xs4
Yours sincerely
Matthew Bird