Neurology Recall

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland) should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

lyndsay eccleston

Dear Clark Turner,

Thank you for your offer to now answer the previously unanswered FOI for Neurology patients.

I have streamlined these and included them below.

Yours faithfully,

Lyndsay Eccleston

1. Please advise how each Trust meets the National Safety Standards for invasive procedures? When was this introduced in each trust? Who signed this off?

2. With regards to the Royal College of Physicians;

(I) How many of Dr Watts patients’ case files were sent to the RCP in total in 2016/2017? Please provide a detailed list of the dates and numbers that were sent?
(II) Please categorise these by blood patches, epilepsy, ms etc.
(III) How many of the patients, who case files were referred to the RCP, received a letter in 2017 to advise them of this?
(IV) What is the total number of letters that were sent in 2017 to advise patients of the RCP investigation?
(V) Please detail who assessed these case files to be sent to the RCP?
(VI) Was an interim report provided?

3. Please provide the following;
(I) A breakdown of “never events” that have been recorded in the past 10 years to current date. How many of Dr Watts patients have been recorded as never events? Please include patients from the Recall process including those in the new 1044 recall process.
(II) Please outline the role and function of the research team.
(III) Please provide all reports from the research team over the past 7 years.
(IV) Please provide details of the purpose and function of the incident control team.
(V) Please provide all reports from the incident control team over the past 7 years.
(VI) Please provide all Learned lessons reports in the last 10 years.
(VII) Please provide a detailed list of all clinical trials within the Belfast Trust over the past 10 years. How many of these were referred to the REC?

4. Please provide all correspondence to the Department of Health within the last 5 years.

5. With reference to the internal investigations into Dr Watt;

(I) What was the Role of Mark Mitchelson in these investigations? What date did his services begin?
(II) What was the role of Dr Craig and Dr McDonnell in the investigations into Dr Watt? What date did their services begin?
(III) What was the role of Dr Peukert in these investigations? What date did he first raise concerns into Dr Watt? What date did Dr Peukert begin the investigation into Dr Watt? Has Dr Peukert ever raised concerns about Dr Watt previously?
(IV) Is Mark Mitchelson, Dr Craig, Dr McDonnell or Dr Peukert involved in any investigations since the recall?
(V) Who were the external experts who reviewed the case notes for blood patch patients and what date were they appointed? Were patients informed?

6. Further to the blood patches;

(I) Redacting any personal information, please outline the concerns of the ‘whistleblower’ GP that he raised with the Trust in Oct/Nov 2016 and again in Dec 16 regarding the blood patch patients.
(II) You have advised that 74 blood patch patients sought medical attention through A&E. Please also advise if any of those patients received care through ICU.
(III) What provisions were previously made to protect blood patch patients who had already undergone the procedure from when concerns were first raised?
(IV) What provisions are currently in place to protect blood patch patients who have already undergone blood patches?
(V) Are any clinicians currently providing blood patches? How is the safety of those patients assured? What advice will be provided to those patients who will need a blood patch?

7. You have stated that those most at risk were seen during the first 6 weeks of the recall.
(I) How were those patients identified & when?
(II) Who decided these patients were at risk & why?
(III) How were the patients identified for the second recall? How were they prioritised?

8. With reference to Dr Watt;
(I) Please provide a detailed list of restrictions imposed on Dr Watt by the Trust and provide the dates that these restrictions were implemented.
(II) What date was Dr Watts general neurology last extended? By whom?
(III) What date was Dr Watts first and last blood patch?
(IV) Please detail what prompted Dr Watts removal from duties in June 17 when it was agreed that current restrictions ensured patient safety?
(V) Is Dr Watt on Full/Partial pay?
(VI) Other than Dr Watt, have any other members received disciplinary action of any description?
(VII) Other than the recall, have any of Dr Watts patients ever been a part of any other investigations/reviews? Please detail.

9. Did the Trust, at any time from 2015, involve patients GP’s in any of the processes? Please detail.

10. You previously advised that the PTU was a suitable aseptic location for epidural blood patching;

(I) Please provide a detailed list of all actions and associated costs that were taken to make the department aseptic since it closed as a functioning A&E department?
(II) Please provide a cleaning rota for the old A&E department/PTU for the past 5 years.
(III) Please provide a detailed list of any works that has been carried out in this department over the past 5 years. I.e Painting, cleaning, new curtains/flooring etc Please provide dates and costs?

11. Please provide a list of all FOI requests put to the Belfast Trust regarding Dr Watt in the year prior to Recall announcement up until current date. Please provide a copy of these with answers. Please also provide FOI’s which were not responded to.

12. Please provide a detailed list of all software used within the Belfast Trust. Please include it’s function & running costs.

Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

Please find attached acknowledgement of your FOI enquiry

 

Many thanks

 

Clark

 

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston,

 

Please find attached a request for clarification

 

Many thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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lyndsay eccleston

Dear Belfast Trust

The response to your requests for clarification is listed below. Apologies in the slight delay in responding due the disabilities of this particular patient group.

We have answered the requests for clarification which we received close to the due date of the FOI, however we would like to raise this for internal review. As has been the case over the last year and a half, we believe this is a further deliberate attempt to avoid answering questions. For example, denying knowing what is meant by the term 'processes', is verging on the ridiculous.

These questions should not be outstanding over a year post recall. However, we have no other option but to put forward FOI requests as the Belfast Trust refuses to answer requests to meet and the Neurology Inquiry Panel has declined to meet on the basis that it is "a conflict of interest" to meet with the neurology patient group.

Therefore, there is a higher need for transparency and all efforts should be made to appropriately answer FOI requests.

Yours sincerely,

Lyndsay

FOI/20099
1. Please advise how each Trust meets the National Safety Standards for invasive procedures? When was this introduced in each trust? Who signed this off?

Clarification: ‘National Safety Standards’ is not a term recognised by Belfast Trust Neurology Services. Please explain what you mean.

Answer: The standards the Belfast Trust adheres when performing invasive procedures. If this is known by a different name, then please let us lay people know what that name is.

3. Please provide the following;
(I) A breakdown of “never events” that have been recorded in the past 10 years to current date. How many of Dr Watts patients have been recorded as never events? Please include patients from the Recall process including those in the new 1044 recall process.

Clarification: ‘Never events’ is not a term recognised by Belfast Trust Neurology Services. Please explain what you mean.

Answer: This is commonly used to describe events that should never happen. We have started to notice a pattern in these responses, such as when you denied using the term ‘red flag’ within the Belfast Trust to avoid answering a previous FOI. If this is known by a different name, then please let us lay people know what that name is.

(IV) Please provide details of the purpose and function of the incident control team.

Clarification: ‘Incident control team’ is not a term recognised by Belfast Trust Neurology Services. Please explain what you mean.

Answer: Incident Control Team is a team within the Belfast Trust. May we respectfully request you remain from using semantics when answering. We do make it clear when we are specifically requesting information from ‘Belfast Trust Neurology Services’.

(V) Please provide all reports from the incident control team over the past 7 years.

Clarification: This query is too general. Please can you be more specific about the type/subject of reports you require.

Answer: We require a copy of all reports, to better understand the role and purpose of this department and how incidents are managed. We also have concerns surrounding infectious diseases handling.

4. Please provide all correspondence to the Department of Health within the last 5 years.

Clarification: This query is too general. Please be more specific about the type/ subject of correspondence and from whom.

Answer: All correspondence to and from Clare Lundy, Cathy Jack, Michael McBride & Martin Dillon, Michael Watt, the legal directorate, any other departments involved or individuals regarding Dr Watt, the blood patches, invasive procedures, the neurology recall and surrounding circumstances.

6. (III) What provisions were previously made to protect blood patch patients who had already undergone the procedure from when concerns were first raised?

Clarification: We do not understand what is being asked here. Please explain more.

Answer: Concerns were raised in December 2016 about multiple blood patch patients. What actions did the Belfast Trust take to protect patients who underwent blood patch procedures and the safety of those still to have the procedure? For example, did you move patients to theatre? Did you have an anaesthetist perform or assist in the procedure? Did you contact any of the Royal Colleges for advice? Did you contact blood patch patients’ GP’s? Please list all actions taken.

(IV) What provisions are currently in place to protect blood patch patients who have already undergone blood patches?

Clarification: We do not understand what is being asked here. Please explain more.

Answer: Many blood patch patients did not need these procedures. They were performed violently where many patients were in extreme pain, when this procedure is meant to be relatively painless. Many were performed under filthy conditions outside of the theatre and yet there has been minimal to no testing of patients vascular systems, nervous systems, renal systems etc. What provisions has the Belfast Trust put in place to protect patients? E.G. have patients been informed to look out for heart attack/stroke/infections etc and what to do in this these circumstances? Have you informed other departments such as the Emergency Department to be on alert when these patients present? Please list all actions taken.

(V) Are any clinicians currently providing blood patches? How is the safety of those patients assured? What advice will be provided to those patients who will need a blood patch?

Clarification: Blood patches are carried out by a number of Belfast Trust services. Does this question relate to Neurology Services, or Belfast Trust as a whole?

Answer: All clinicians regardless if it is for SIH/PDPH or any other reason.

9. Did the Trust, at any time from 2015, involve patients GP’s in any of the processes? Please detail.

Clarification: ‘Processes’ is not a term recognised by Belfast Trust Neurology Services. Can you please explain what you mean?

Answer: A process is a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.

12. Please provide a detailed list of all software used within the Belfast Trust. Please include it’s function & running costs.

Clarification: Do you mean software applications? Is this request limited to what is used by Neurology Services or across Belfast Trust as a whole?

Answer: All software/systems across the Belfast Trust as a whole. Patients are having extreme difficulty when accessing their medical records in that they are asked to inform medical records as to the name of the systems their data is held on, something which is not the responsibility of the patient to know.

Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

5 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

Thanks for the clarification supplied and for the request for an internal
review.

 

I will look into this further.

 

The new deadline for this request is 29 July 2019.

 

Because of the detail and volume if information requested we will be
unable to meet this. However we will endeavour to send a response to your
FOI as soon as is possible.

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

Many thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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lyndsay eccleston

Dear Turner, Clark,

The clarified request is now overdue. Can you please provide a full response?

Yours sincerely,

Lyndsay Eccleston

Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

Dear Lyndsay

A response has been drafted and is currently going through review and sign off.

Obviously because of the detail and complexity of the questions posed, this has taken some time.

Please bear with us as we hope to be in a position to release response soon.

Thanks for your continued patience and understanding

Many thanks

Clark

Clark Turner
Communications Officer
Public Liaison Service
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
E: [email address]
T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

7 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

Please find attached response to your FOI Enquiry

 

Many thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

[2]cid:image009.jpg@01CF8494.4339C740

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

 

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

[2]cid:image009.jpg@01CF8494.4339C740

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Turner, Clark, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

6 Attachments

Dear Ms Eccleston

 

As attached

 

Thanks

 

Clark

 

 

Clark Turner

Communications Officer

Public Liaison Service

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

E: [1][email address]

T: 028 9504 4919

[2]cid:image009.jpg@01CF8494.4339C740

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