Dear Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust,

Can Eput please answer these questions that I asked not different questions
Previously Eput Foi advised Eput complaints were going to do to answer these questions but unfortunately, Eput complaints have totally ignored the questions on choice.

1, I can personally say I have not been allowed the choice of team, my GP requested my choice, and I have requested my choice in writing and verbally on many occasions to no avail.
Dr Karala and Dr Pillay both senior members of Eput were aware I wanted a choice, but it did not happen, so I do not know what more I can do on my side?

2, Please explain what I have done wrong to access choice when I have spelled it out many times in emails, my GP requested my choice and I have verbally requested my choice clearly on main occasions but hit the preverbal brick wall at Eput?
For example in my trials to access choice
I have told my GP (this only person that understood) at Eput I have contacted Pals, complaints, foi, the Eput patient assessment process, and told my consultant on numerous NHS choices on numerous occasions all to NO avail

3, I am not sure what more I can do or need to do to access choice can Eput explain?

4, My own personal experience shows that Eput blocks choice as best as it can in covert ways in every step of the process
eg ignoring, pretending to forget, not providing information when requested, or pretending choice is to do with the provider of services only and not also the team at the provider.

5, Can the trust advise how a patient access choice without hassle as so far the trust has not told me?
That is one phone or email that's all the patient has to do not 4 years of messing about as it has been in my case and still no choice.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/n...

Yours faithfully,

iain gordon

FOI (ESSEX PARTNERSHIP UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Thank you for your email.
Please note this is an automated response to confirm receipt of your
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Hello Stephanie

Thank you for contacting me directly by my personal email

I would like Eput detailed process to facilitate patients' choice of the treatment team you are seen by.
As I have documented from personal experience requesting a team in writing or verbally on numerous occasions did not work.
It did not matter how many times I made the request for a particular Team it did not happen.

Maybe you have raise a complaint?
Or refuse to attend your appointment with the team allocated by Eput?

So there must be a process I was not made aware of as Eput says the choice of Team is happening.

regards
iain gordon

Dear Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust,

Still waiting to find out Eputs for a patient to access choice?
How can you expect patients to access choices when Eput does not communicate how?
We are now approximately 4 years since i contacted Eput on this process in 2019.
So a very secretive NHS organization on the process

Yours faithfully,

iain gordon

Dear Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Choice of team'.

Still, waiting to find out Eputs for a patient to access choice?
How can you expect patients to access choices when Eput does not communicate how?
We are now approximately 4 years since i contacted Eput on this process in 2019.
So a very secretive NHS organization on the process

Yours faithfully,

iain gordon

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

iain gordon

FOI (ESSEX PARTNERSHIP UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Iain

We are writing further to your request for an internal review of the
handling of your request for information under Freedom of Information Act
2010 (‘FOIA’) by Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (the ‘Trust’).

 

As previously advised in the Trust’s response sent to you on the 20th
October 2022, the information you have requested is subject to clinical
judgment of individual clinicians and not information centrally held by
the Trust. We also advised you that the Trust will not be responding to
any other requests for information or requests for internal reviews
regarding referrals and access to TMS Service, in accordance with section
14(1) of the Freedom of Information Act  2010.

If you are not satisfied with the response to your request, you have the
right to appeal to the Information Commissioner.

 

You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at the following
address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House 

Water Lane 

Wilmslow 

Cheshire 

SK9 5AF

 

Kind Regards

 

Legal Services

 

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT)

Legal Services | The Lodge | Lodge Approach | Wickford | Essex | SS11 7XX

 

Email: [1][email address]

Web: [2]www.eput.nhs.uk | Follow us on [3]Twitter and [4]Facebook

 

WHAT WE DO TOGETHER MATTERS.

 

 

 

 

show quoted sections

FOI (ESSEX PARTNERSHIP UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Iain

We are writing further to your request for an internal review of the
handling of your request for information under Freedom of Information Act
2010 (‘FOIA’) by Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (the ‘Trust’).

 

As previously advised in the Trust’s response sent to you on the 20th
October 2022, the information you have requested is subject to clinical
judgment of individual clinicians and not information centrally held by
the Trust. We also advised you that the Trust will not be responding to
any other requests for information or requests for internal reviews
regarding referrals and access to TMS Service, in accordance with section
14(1) of the Freedom of Information Act  2010.

If you are not satisfied with the response to your request, you have the
right to appeal to the Information Commissioner.

 

You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at the following
address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House 

Water Lane 

Wilmslow 

Cheshire 

SK9 5AF

 

Kind Regards

 

Legal Services

 

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT)

Legal Services | The Lodge | Lodge Approach | Wickford | Essex | SS11 7XX

 

Email: [1][email address]

Web: [2]www.eput.nhs.uk | Follow us on [3]Twitter and [4]Facebook

 

WHAT WE DO TOGETHER MATTERS.

 

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Choice of team'.

As
1, I would like to ask you to reassess my request on your choice process in light of the fact that the information I have requested would have a serious purpose and value (as per the ICO guidance at https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...).

2, ICO guidance states that Section 14(1) is applied because of the nature of the request rather than the consequences of releasing the requested information (see https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...).

3, I would like to ask you to reassess my request in light of the fact that the information I have requested would have a serious purpose and value (as per the ICO guidance at https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...).

4 I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the information you pointed me does not, in fact, answer my request. As a patient's choice of team is not determined by as you say on 16/11/2022 "previously advised in the Trust’s response sent to you on the 20th October 2022, the information you have requested is subject to clinical judgment of individual clinicians and not information centrally held by the Trust"

I am not talking about a primary care or secondary care clinician referring/"choosing" a patient's team, but a patient making their own choice of team, possibly in discussion with a clinician.
This patient legal right to choice team is documented on the NHS England website included in the following link
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/c...

I assure you that my request was not intended to be vexatious, just want beable to choose my treatment team which is a patient legal right.

So how does a patient inform Eput of their choice of treatment team at Eput?
Or can you confirm that Eput does not have any process in place for a patient to inform Eput of their choice of team, so a patient will be guaranteed it will happen?

I assure you that my request was not intended to be vexatious, as all I am trying to do is choose my treatment team.

Therefore I would appreciate it if you would review this decision.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

iain gordon

FOI (ESSEX PARTNERSHIP UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Iain

 

We are writing further to your request for an internal review of the
handling of your request for information under Freedom of Information Act
2010 (‘FOIA’) by Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (the ‘Trust’)
dated 17 November 2022. This request has been reviewed by the Trust and
the Trust’s legal advisors and is refused.

 

The information you request is not held by the Trust therefore it cannot
be disclosed by the Trust. Your persistent in refusing to accept this is
further proof that your request meets the criteria for section 14(1) of
the Freedom of Information Act 2010.

We note that the links provided in your email to the Information
Commissioner’s website relate to guidance which is out of date and no
longer applicable. You had also included a link to the NHS England leaflet
regarding patient choice in mental  health care and we draw your attention
to page 8 of this publication, which states that

“There are some exclusions from these legal rights to choice. These are
where a patient is already receiving mental health care following an
elective referral for the same condition […]”

The Trust will not be responding to any other requests for information or
requests for internal reviews regarding referrals and access to TMS
Service, in accordance with section 14(1) of the Freedom of Information
Act 2010 and this includes acknowledgment of any further communications
received from you relating to these.

If you are not satisfied with the response to your request, you have the
right to appeal to the Information Commissioner.

You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at the following
address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Many Thanks 

 

Legal Services

 

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT)

Legal Services | The Lodge | Lodge Approach | Wickford | Essex | SS11 7XX

 

Email: [1][email address]

Web: [2]www.eput.nhs.uk | Follow us on [3]Twitter and [4]Facebook

 

WHAT WE DO TOGETHER MATTERS.

 

 

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear FOI (ESSEX PARTNERSHIP UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST),

I agree there are as you say some exclusions when a choice team does not have to be provided
“There are some exclusions from these legal rights to choice. These are
where a patient is already receiving mental health care following an
elective referral for the same condition […]”

I have read that you have stated that you will not reply and provide simple foi .

I have dyslexia
However, I disagree strongly it's vexatious and have stated some reasons why previously.
Eput has not explained, or clarified its process on patient choice if any process exists only why it does not have to provide a choice due to exclusions

There is more detailed guidance here on page 8 of NHS England 2021 40 page guidance on a choice on exclusions.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/up...

But my question relates to elective referrals from a GP and if none of the exclusions apply.
1, How does a patient state their choice to Eput?
2 eg At what step of the referral/assessment process etc as you have not indicated how?
3, Maybe there is no set process at Eput to allow choice as Eput appears to have indicated.
4, therefore all that is required for choice is a patient saying verbally or in writing etc no set form or point in the referral/assessment process?
5 Clearly if a patient has made a choice at the start of a referral/assessment and it did not happen we then have a problem for Eput to resolve if this is what patient wants.
6, Then Eput could rectify provide choice requested in a reasonable time?
As the choice error was due to the provider not the patient's fault.
7, This FOI highlights the possible need for a clear process for patients to provide their choice to Eput if they wish to do so if Eput is unable to apply step 6 effectively.

sincerely,

iain gordon

Dear FOI (ESSEX PARTNERSHIP UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST),

Still waiting to hear if you will reply?
after providing important new evidence to support my foi request
And new questions it raised

Yours sincerely,

iain gordon