Mask wearing by staff patients and visitors

The request was partially successful.

Dear University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust,
Please provide the following data.
How much has UHS spent on face masks?
Who did UHS contract with to provide face masks?
How long was the contract for?
How much was the supply amount of face mask and for how long?
What legislation does UHS rely on to require staff, patients and visitors to continue to wear masks?
Provide the written policy that staff, patients and visitors must wear masks?
Provide the written risk assessment that has been conducted by UHS.
Does UHS recognise exemption to mask wearing and permit staff, patients and visitors to enter without a mask?
Has UHS breached its own equality and diversity policy in enforcing mask wearing?
Has UHS breached the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights?
Has UHS breached the Human Rights Act?
Has UHS breached the Equality Act when making its decision to keep mask wearing in place?

Yours faithfully,

Darren Dale

FreedomOfInformation, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Darren,

 

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail dated 14^th March 2022,
requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding
face masks.

                          

We will endeavour to respond to your request within the twenty working day
timescale requirement set by the FOI Act (11^th April 2022). We will tell
you whether the Trust holds the information you have requested, and we
will contact you as soon as possible if for some reason we are delayed in
our response or if we require further information from you in order to
complete your request.

 

 

With regards,

 

Freedom of Information Officer

Corporate Affairs

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

 

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FreedomOfInformation, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Darren,

We are in the process of collating the information for your recent Freedom of Information request regarding face masks, but need some clarification in order to proceed. Could you please answer the following question in relation to the request you have made:

• Regarding the procurement of masks, you have not given a time-frame - From and to which date are you requiring procurement numbers for?

Your request is currently ‘on hold’. Please provide the above clarification as soon as possible. Under the terms of the FOI Act, we will have 20 working days from the date clarification is received to complete your request.

If we do not hear from you by 11th April 2022 we will assume the information is no longer required and close our file.

Yours

Freedom of Information Officer
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

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Dear FreedomOfInformation,

From March 2020 to present date.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Dale

Dear FreedomOfInformation,
As there is no legislation currently underpinning the use of a medical device, such as a mask, in that respect it can only be guidance. Can an individual within UHS, staff, patient, and visitor respectfully decline to wear a mask and be permitted to remain within the hospital?

Yours sincerely,

Darren Dale

FreedomOfInformation, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

3 Attachments

Dear Darren,

 

Please find attached the Trust's response to your recent Freedom of
Information request.

 

 

 

With regards,

 

Freedom of Information Officer

Corporate Affairs

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

 

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Dear FreedomOfInformation,

Thank you for your response. It appears that the policy is no longer in date and is an internal policy related to employees. Therefore you have not supplied any relevant data to the request.
There is no policy covid specific related which UHS can rely on.
It stands that UHS has no current legal mandate to impose a medical device on anyone who enters UHS.
Mask wearing is merely guidance as per the government own guidance updated on the 14th April 2022.
Therefore the imposing of a medical device, ie, a mask is illegal and unlawful.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Dale