Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0EU
www.gov.uk/dhsc
E A Lee
By email to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
16 August 2024
Dear E A Lee,
Freedom of Information Request Reference FOI-1519668
Thank you for your request dated 22 July to the Department of Health and Social Care
(DHSC), a copy of which can be found in the accompanying annex.
Your request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
DHSC does not hold the information you have requested. However, you may wish to
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Freedom of Information Team
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Annex
-----Original Message-----
From: E A Lee <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx>
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2024 7:22 PM
To: FreedomofInformation <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Review of suicides and gender dysphoria at the
Tavistock: disambiguating dates and figures
Dear Department of Health and Social Care,
Please acknowledge this request.
You published “Review of suicides and gender dysphoria at the Tavistock and Portman
NHS Foundation Trust: independent report” on 19 July 2024.
In the report Professor Appleby wrote, “In this period of 6 years the data show a total of 12
suicides: 6 in the under 18s, 6 in those 18 and above. In the 3 years leading up to 2020-
21, there were 5 suicides, compared to 7 in the 3 years after. This is essentially no
difference, taking account of expected fluctuations in small numbers, and would not reach
statistical significance. In the under 18s specifically, there were 3 suicides before and 3
after 2020-21.”
And he wrote, “the figures are for ‘NHS years', April to March, so the timing of the High
Court judgment does not fall neatly between years.”
In relation to his summary, please let me know:
1. Out of the 12 total suicides, how many occurred before April 2020?
2. Out of the 12 total suicides, how many occurred on or after April 2020?
3. Out of the 6 suicides involving individuals under 18, how many occurred before April
2020?
4. Out of the 6 suicides involving individuals under 18, how many occurred on or after April
2020?
5. Is the numeric answer to (3) greater than the answer to (4)?
You are reminded that, according to ICO guidance and case laws, there is an overriding
public interest in verifying or refuting misleading statistical claims. You must consider the
public interest in relation to each question individually, in particular question (5). I would be
grateful if you could disprove my plausible suspicion as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
E A Lee
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