By email
Ref: 09/12/10/lk/375
Health Protection Agency
Communications
Denzil Holles
Public Information Access
[email address]
61 Colindale Avenue
London
NW9 5EQ
Tel +44 (0)20 8327 6920
Fax +44 (0)20 8327 6633
18 December 2009
www.hpa.org.uk
Email: [Health Protection Agency request email]
Dear Denzil Holles
Re: H1N1 mortality data
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 10 December 2009,
regarding H1N1 mortality data. Under section 1 (1) (a) of the Act I can confirm that
the HPA does hold some of the information you have requested.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) published his figures on
Mortality from pandemic
A/H1N1 2009 influenza in England: public health surveillance study on the 11
December 2009 in the British Medical Journal (BMJ)
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/dec10_1/b5213
In accordance with section 21 –
information accessible to applicant by other means, this information is exempt from disclosure.
In accordance with both the Department of Health and General Medical Council’s
guidelines the HPA maintains a duty of confidentiality to deceased individuals.
Therefore, the HPA will not consider the release of a line listing as requested as this
is too identifying and may give rise to possible deductive disclosure. In accordance
with the Freedom of Information Act section 40 –
personal information, we are not
obliged to release personal information. Moreover section 41 of the Act exempts
information provided in confidence. We received this information for the purpose of
surveillance and any other use may breech our obligation to maintain the
confidentiality of this information.
The HPA are reconciling its data with CMOs data and plan to publish an update on
the figures in the New Year which will include more detailed information on risk
groups. We are not in a position to give you the information you request until we have
undertaken that further work. Therefore, in accordance with section 22 of the Act –
future publications, this information is exempt for disclosure.
I hope you have found this information useful, however, if you are dissatisfied with
this response and would like a copy of the HPA complaints procedure then please
contact Mr George Stafford, Complaints Manager at: Health Protection Agency, 61
Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ.
Please note that you have the right to an independent review by the Information
Commissioner’s Office if a complaint cannot be resolved through the HPA complaints
procedure. The Information Commissioner’s Office can be contacted by writing to
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF.
Please contact me if you require any further information or assistance.
Yours sincerely
Leigh Kelly
Freedom of Information Officer
Health Protection Agency
Document Outline
