Febrile Neutropenia

Dear Mr Clark

I am writing further to your request for information regarding
chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia.

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 18^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 Mr Clark

Further to your request for information regarding chemotherapy-induced
febrile neutropenia.

The Trust can confirm the following:

Number of patients admitted with a diagnosis of chemotherapy-induced 78
febrile neutropenia in 2008 (ICD10 codes D70X and Y43)
Number of patients identified above who are now deceased 19

The above figure shows the number of patients who have been admitted into
hospital, and from that admission been diagnosed with chemotherapy-induced
febrile neutropenia. The Trust does not code outpatient activity, so it is
not possible to confirm figures for patients who have only been seen via
outpatient attendances.

Please also note that it is not possible to confirm how many patient
deaths have been attributed to chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia,
without accessing the individual casenotes and death certificates of the
patients concerned. To undertake this piece of work would take in excess
of the appropriate limit set by the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The
appropriate limit of £450 represents the estimated cost of one person
spending two and a half days in determining whether the Trust holds the
information, and locating, retrieving and extracting the information.
Consequently, the Trust is not obliged by the Freedom of Information Act
2000 to retrieve the above information (see section 12(1)). From checking
the Trust's Patient Administration System, it is, however, possible to
confirm the number of patients who were admitted with chemotherapy-induced
febrile neutropenia in 2008, that have since died, please see above for
details.

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