Discharge Summaries

I am writing further to your request for information regarding discharge
summaries.

I will now proceed to verify if the Trust holds this information and if it
is releasable. Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, I am
obliged to inform you either on or before the 27^th February 2009 whether
or not I can accede to your request for this information. However, I will
endeavour to process your request as quickly as possible.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best Wishes

FOI Officer

Dear D Bird

Further to your request for information regarding discharge summaries.

I have answered the questions in the order they appear in your request:

I am writing to request information about discharge summaries.
Specifically, I would like to ask:

1. What standards for the timely issue of discharge summaries has the
Trust agreed with local commissioning bodies?

Please see the following excerpt from the current contract specifications:

The Provider shall issue the Patient's Discharge Summary to the Patient's GP
within 72 hours of the Patient's discharge from the Provider's Premises, where
the Patient is discharged by the Provider on or prior to 31 March 2009.

Please note that the 2009/10 contract with the PCT for the issuing of
discharge summaries, the standards of which will be taken from the
national contract, is currently under discussion and has yet to be
formally agreed.

2. What procedures are in place for monitoring the Trust's compliance
with the above standard?

The Trust is committed to providing robust and reliable data to
commissioners and at present the Foundation Trust's Discharge Summary
Steering Group is putting in place the relevant monitoring systems to
enable the Trust to comply with the national contract for 09/10.

3. The number of discharge summaries issued on time by the Trust so far
in the 08/09 financial year and in any other period for which data are
available.

There is no agreement as to the mechanism for monitoring the provision of
discharge summaries in line with the agreed timescales in 08/09; therefore
it is not possible to provide you with the information requested. The
efforts of the Foundation Trust's Discharge Summary Steering Group is
therefore focussed on ensuring delivery for the next financial year in
line with the anticipated contractual requirements.

4. The number of queries received from GPs or other primary care staff
about the late issue of discharge summaries.

The information requested is not recorded centrally by the Trust. It is
however possible to confirm that since January 2008 the Trust's Medical
Director has received no formal complaints from GPs or PCT staff relating
to the late issue of discharge summaries.

If you feel your enquiry has not been dealt with appropriately please
refer any complaints to the Health Records and Information Governance
Manager, who will initiate an internal complaint procedure. Complainants
who remain dissatisfied with the Trust at the end of the internal
complaint procedure have the right to take their complaint to the
Information Commissioner.

Best Wishes

FOI Officer