Patient injuries quadruple at Surrey mental health trust

The number of reported patient injuries at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has more than quadrupled in two years, according to new figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request.

The trust, which provides mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services across Surrey and surrounding areas, recorded 92 service user injuries during 2023/24.

That increased sharply to 365 incidents in 2024/25 before rising again to 431 in 2025/26 – equivalent to more than one reported patient injury every day during the latest complete financial year.

A further 141 incidents had already been recorded during 2026/27 at the time the trust responded to the information request.

The figures come following the opening of the trust’s new inpatient facility, with Surrey and Borders Partnership saying the increase should be understood in the context of changes to its inpatient services and reporting.

Restraint incidents have also increased. A total of 1,287 incidents involving patients being restrained were recorded during 2025/26, compared with 826 the previous year.

However, the trust stressed that not all of the reported patient injuries were connected with restraint.

Physical assaults on staff also increased, rising from 418 reported incidents in 2024/25 to 669 during 2025/26.

The figures raise questions around patient and staff safety within inpatient mental health services at a time when services across the NHS continue to face significant pressures.

Patient safety reporting is an important part of identifying risks and improving care, and an increase in recorded incidents does not necessarily mean that care has become less safe. Changes in services, patient complexity and improvements in reporting practices can all affect the number of incidents recorded.

The latest figures nevertheless highlight the importance of continued scrutiny of safety, staffing, restrictive practices and the experiences of people receiving inpatient mental health care.

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