Sky News - Ambulance staff complaints
Dear North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust,
Rebecca from Sky News here. I am writing to you on the 6th of March 2024 to request the below data under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We would be very grateful if you could respond as soon as possible within the 20 working days (before the 3rd of April).
REQUEST
Since the 1st January 2014 until as close to the current day as possible:
1) How many reports have been made by one member of ambulance staff against another member/members of ambulance staff accusing them of sexual harassment.
2) How many reports have been made by one member of ambulance staff against another member of ambulance staff accusing them of sexual assault.
3) How many reports have been made by one member of ambulance staff against another member of ambulance staff accusing them of rape.
4) How many reports have been made by one member of ambulance staff against another member/members of ambulance staff accusing them of bullying.
*Please note: When we say ‘ambulance staff’ the data should include all allegations/complaints made by the following: Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, Emergency Care Assistants and support staff, Assistant Ambulance Practitioners and Non-Emergency Transport Service employees.
Please break down the data by year, and in each case, please include the actioned outcome of any investigation. (e.g. currently under investigation, case not proven, written warning given, dismissal actioned, case handed to police).
Please feel free to call me if you have any queries on [Personally Identifiable Information removed].
Thank you,
Rebecca Spencer
Planning Producer
Sky News
[Personally Identifiable Information removed] | [email address]
@beccaspencersky
Sky Studios, Grant Way, Osterley, TW7 5QD
Thank you for contacting North East Ambulance Service’s communications
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East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise specifically
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Thank you for your e-mail and I acknowledge your request for information,
which was received on 6 March 2024.
Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by
the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not being
exempt or containing reference to a third party.
For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions which may
prevent the release of the information you have requested. There will be
an assessment and if any of the exemptions apply then the information
might not be released. You will be informed if this is the case,
including your rights of appeal.
If the information you have requested contains reference to a third party
then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or
not to release the information to you.
If you have any queries or concerns, then please contact me by email:
[1][email address]
Kind regards
Karen Greenacre
FOI Governance Officer | Chief Executive’s Directorate
Usual working days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Bernicia House | Goldcrest Way | Newburn Riverside Business Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne | NE15 8NY | 0191 430 2000
Unmatched quality of care every time we touch lives
[2]www.neas.nhs.uk | [3]Twitter: @NEAmbulance | [4]Facebook:
North-East-Ambulance-Service
The North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust accepts no
responsibility or liability for the contents of this email or any changes
made after the original email. Any views or opinions presented are solely
those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the North
East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise specifically
stated. If you are not the intended recipient (or responsible for
delivery) of this email and its attachments, please notify the sender and
delete the email and any copies made. The confidentiality of this email
cannot be guaranteed unless the contents are exempt from the FOI Act 2000.
References
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2. http://www.neas.nhs.uk/
3. https://twitter.com/NEAmbulance?ref_src=...
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Please find attached response letter to your Freedom of Information
request.
Karen Greenacre
FOI Governance Officer | Chief Executive’s Directorate
Usual working days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Bernicia House | Goldcrest Way | Newburn Riverside Business Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne | NE15 8NY | 0191 430 2000
Unmatched quality of care every time we touch lives
[1]www.neas.nhs.uk | [2]Twitter: @NEAmbulance | [3]Facebook:
North-East-Ambulance-Service
The North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust accepts no
responsibility or liability for the contents of this email or any changes
made after the original email. Any views or opinions presented are solely
those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the North
East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise specifically
stated. If you are not the intended recipient (or responsible for
delivery) of this email and its attachments, please notify the sender and
delete the email and any copies made. The confidentiality of this email
cannot be guaranteed unless the contents are exempt from the FOI Act 2000.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.neas.nhs.uk/
2. https://twitter.com/NEAmbulance?ref_src=...
3. https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Eas...
Dear Karen Greenacre,
Thank you for providing this response. Please can you breakdown the data into the categories requested. As it stands, you have lumped sexual harassment and sexual assault together which are very different in severity and the data for each should not be clumped together. This is incredibly important for accuracy and fairness.
Please provide the data in the categories as for within the next 5 working days:
1) How many reports have been made by one member of ambulance staff against
another member/members of ambulance staff accusing them of SEXUAL HARASSMENT?
2) How many reports have been made by one member of ambulance staff against
another member of ambulance staff accusing them of SEXUAL ASSAULT?
3) How many reports have been made by one member of ambulance staff against
another member of ambulance staff accusing them of RAPE?
4) How many reports have been made by one member of ambulance staff against
another member/members of ambulance staff accusing them of BULLYING?
Please feel free to call me to discuss on [Personally Identifiable Information removed].
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Spencer
I will reply to your e-mail on my return to work - Friday 17 May 2024
The North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust accepts no
responsibility or liability for the contents of this email or any changes
made after the original email. Any views or opinions presented are solely
those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the North
East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise specifically
stated. If you are not the intended recipient (or responsible for
delivery) of this email and its attachments, please notify the sender and
delete the email and any copies made. The confidentiality of this email
cannot be guaranteed unless the contents are exempt from the FOI Act 2000.
Hi Rebecca
Thank you for your e-mail.
I have passed your query on to the relevant team and as soon as I get a response, I will be back in touch.
Kind regards
Karen Greenacre
FOI Governance Officer | Chief Executive's Directorate
Usual working days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Bernicia House | Goldcrest Way | Newburn Riverside Business Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne | NE15 8NY | 0191 430 2000
Unmatched quality of care every time we touch lives
http://www.neas.nhs.uk/ | Twitter: @NEAmbulance | Facebook: North-East-Ambulance-Service
Hi Rebecca
Please see attached updated response.
Kind regards
Karen Greenacre
FOI Governance Officer | Chief Executive's Directorate
Usual working days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Bernicia House | Goldcrest Way | Newburn Riverside Business Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne | NE15 8NY | 0191 430 2000
Unmatched quality of care every time we touch lives
http://www.neas.nhs.uk/ | Twitter: @NEAmbulance | Facebook: North-East-Ambulance-Service
Dear Karen Greenacre,
You have now sent me through the statistics for Sexual harassment and bullying only. Please can you confirm that we would be right in saying that you have not collected data for sexual assault or rape?
You are the only ambulance trust who in their data collecting has lumped together complaints about sexual harassment and bullying from both members of the public/patients and staff. Are you able to confirm that you have not logged complaints from staff members about other staff members separately?
Please could you respond to me within the next 48 hours.
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Spencer
I will reply to your e-mail on my return to work - Tuesday 11 June 2024
The North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust accepts no
responsibility or liability for the contents of this email or any changes
made after the original email. Any views or opinions presented are solely
those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the North
East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise specifically
stated. If you are not the intended recipient (or responsible for
delivery) of this email and its attachments, please notify the sender and
delete the email and any copies made. The confidentiality of this email
cannot be guaranteed unless the contents are exempt from the FOI Act 2000.
Thank you for your e-mail dated 10 June 2024.
Please see the below in answer to your queries:
You have now sent me through the statistics for Sexual harassment and
bullying only. Please can you confirm that we would be right in saying
that you have not collected data for sexual assault or rape? – no, the
data is collected but there are nil cases of sexual assault and rape
recorded
You are the only ambulance trust who in their data collecting has lumped
together complaints about sexual harassment and bullying from both members
of the public/patients and staff. Are you able to confirm that you have
not logged complaints from staff members about other staff members
separately? - the data will include complaints from both members of the
public/patients and staff, as we are unable to differentiate between these
categories
Kind regards
Karen Greenacre
FOI Governance Officer | Chief Executive’s Directorate
Usual working days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Bernicia House | Goldcrest Way | Newburn Riverside Business Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne | NE15 8NY | 0191 430 2000
Unmatched quality of care every time we touch lives
[1]www.neas.nhs.uk | [2]Twitter: @NEAmbulance | [3]Facebook:
North-East-Ambulance-Service
The North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust accepts no
responsibility or liability for the contents of this email or any changes
made after the original email. Any views or opinions presented are solely
those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the North
East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise specifically
stated. If you are not the intended recipient (or responsible for
delivery) of this email and its attachments, please notify the sender and
delete the email and any copies made. The confidentiality of this email
cannot be guaranteed unless the contents are exempt from the FOI Act 2000.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.neas.nhs.uk/
2. https://twitter.com/NEAmbulance?ref_src=...
3. https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Eas...
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