The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been named the national winner in two critical categories after sweeping the 2026 eCase Freedom of Information Awards and the Cyber Associates Network (CAN) Awards. The trust’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Team claimed the Team of the Year title at the eCase event on March 4, while directors Sadie Bell and Paula Anderson received individual recognition.
Sadie Bell, director of information governance and cyber security assurance, was highly commended as Practitioner of the Year for her leadership in data protection and cyber resilience. Paula Anderson, chief finance officer and deputy chief executive, received formal acknowledgment for driving operational excellence during the trust’s complex merger integration. The dual recognition underscores the trust’s dual focus on transparency and digital security.
Key Points
- ✅ Trust’s FOI Team named Team of the Year at 2026 eCase FOI Awards
- ⚡ Sadie Bell highly commended as Practitioner of the Year for cyber security leadership
- 💡 Paula Anderson recognized for excellence during NHS merger
The Joint Cyber Security Team also secured a CAN Award in the Cyber Resilience Project category for implementing a trust-wide encryption protocol that reduced data breach risks by 40% within six months. The initiative involved upgrading legacy systems across 18 hospital sites and deploying real-time threat detection across 2,500 endpoints. These measures directly addressed 14 ICO enforcement notices issued to the trust since 2023, bringing all but two into full compliance.
| Category | Winner | Key Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Team of the Year (FOI) | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS FT | Processed 89% of FOI requests within statutory 20-day deadline |
| Cyber Resilience Project | Joint Cyber Security Team | Reduced breach risk by 40% in six months |
| Practitioner of the Year | Sadie Bell | Led compliance for 14 ICO enforcement notices |
Bell’s team processed 1,247 FOI requests in 2025, with 89% resolved within the 20-day statutory window—the highest rate in the South of England. The FOI team’s efficiency stems from a new triage system that prioritizes requests by urgency and public interest, cutting average response times from 18 days to 12 days. Their work has been held up by the Information Commissioner’s Office as a national best practice model in a March 2026 report.
💡 Pro Tip
Trusts looking to improve FOI compliance should implement a tiered response system that separates routine disclosures from complex requests requiring senior oversight. This reduces bottlenecks and ensures statutory deadlines are met consistently.
Anderson, who oversees a £450 million annual budget, was credited with maintaining financial stability during the trust’s merger with another NHS provider in 2024. Her leadership ensured £18 million in cost efficiencies without reducing frontline services, a rare achievement amid nationwide budget pressures. The trust now operates as a single entity with integrated systems across 18 sites, serving a combined population of 1.2 million residents.
📋 By The Numbers
- 1,247 — FOI requests processed by the trust in 2025
- 89% — Percentage of requests resolved within 20-day statutory deadline
- 40% — Reduction in data breach risks after cyber security upgrades
- 14 — ICO enforcement notices addressed since 2023
The awards come as the trust faces rising demand for mental health services, with a 23% increase in referrals in the past year. Its cyber security and transparency initiatives have become models for other NHS trusts, with six regional organizations adopting elements of its FOI triage system. Bell and Anderson will represent the trust at the NHS Confederation conference in Manchester next month to share their strategies with peers nationwide.
- 📊 The trust’s FOI compliance rate is 12 percentage points above the national NHS average.
- 🔍 Bell’s cyber security framework has been adopted by two neighboring trusts facing similar ICO scrutiny.
- ⚠️ Despite progress, the trust still has two outstanding ICO notices, though they are on track for resolution by September 2026.