FOI 26-190 Toxic Plant Incidents
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-190 Toxic Plant Incidents
- Request Date
- 14 Apr 2026
- Response Date
- 07 May 2026
- Information Requested
I am conducting research into plant toxicity in the United Kingdom for a public safety publication. I would be grateful for the following information for the most recent two-year period available:
- The number of incidents attended or recorded involving plant ingestion, exposure, or poisoning
- Any available breakdown by region within your service area
- Any categorisation of outcomes (e.g. treated on scene, transported to hospital)
- Any data identifying commonly involved plant types or categories
- Any identifiable seasonal trends
I am not requesting any personal or identifiable information, only anonymised and aggregated data. This request is made in support of a public safety publication intended to improve awareness of toxic plant risks in the United Kingdom.
- Response
The Scottish Ambulance Service can confirm that there have been 6 reported incidents recorded as involving plant toxicity (foxglove) for the most recent two‑year period available, 01/01/24 - 26/04/2026.
You also asked for breakdowns by region, outcome (e.g. treated on scene / conveyed), plant type/category, and seasonal trends. Given the very small number of incidents involved, providing any further breakdown (including by geography, time period, or outcome) would be likely to result in very small numbers and could lead to the indirect identification of individuals or specific incidents when combined with other information that may already be known or available. In line with disclosure control practice, small numbers (typically fewer than five) are not disclosed where this could identify individuals.
