C difficile data on deaths of patients

Dear Mr. Highton,

Thank you for your request for information relating to C Difficile, which
we received 8th June 2009. I apologise for the delay in confirming this
information to you.

Please see the information below in answer to your specific questions.

'Please provide the data showing the number of C Difficile deaths in your
Trust & it's recently formed Foundation Trust during the period November
2007 through to May 2009. I would like the data to show the number of
deaths in two forms - C difficile as the primary cause of death, and C
Difficile as an associated cause of death.'

This request is very similar to a request you made on the 20^th May 2008
and in particular question 3 of your earlier request.

You will recall the response provided as follows;

This information is not routinely collected by the trust and compiling the
information required to satisfy [your] request in its current form would
impose a substantial administrative burden on the Trust. Compilation of
this information would exceed the appropriate cost limited referred to in
section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Under section 4 of the Freedom of Information and Data Protection
(Appropriate Fees Limit and Fees) Regulations, the Trust can take account
of the costs we reasonably expect to incur in relation to the request in *

(a) locating the information, or a document which may contain the
information

(b) retrieving the information, or a document which may contain the
information, and

(c) extracting the information from a document containing it.

The costs attributed to the time staff will take to carry out the
activities mentioned above can be calculated at a rate of £25 per person
per hour.

Calculations made on this basis indicate that we will exceed the
appropriate cost limit of £450 in this case. As a result, it is my duty
to inform you that if you wish to proceed with your request a fee will be
payable.

Please inform me if you wish to proceed with this request. On notification
that you wish to proceed I will calculate the fee involved.

To comply with your request a review of every death certificate issued in
respect of all deaths at the Hospitals for the period November 2008 and
May 2009 would be required. A Senior Consultant would be required to
review all case notes in respect of each death, case notes are sometimes
stored off site and the cost of retrieving the notes would also be
applied.

Deaths are registered at the local Registry Office and the Registrar may
be able to offer you assistance with the information you require.

Once again, please inform me if you wish to proceed with this request. On
notification that you wish to proceed I will calculate the fee involved.

I hope the information provided satisfies your request.

If there is anything you need clarification on please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Yours sincerely

Victoria Smith

Acting on Behalf of the Freedom of Information Officer

Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Telephone - 01925 662000