MOU between the Home Office and NHS Digital - governance and oversight

The request was partially successful.

Dear NHS Digital,

I refer to the memorandum of understanding between NHS Digital, the Department for Health and the Home Office (the MOU), effective from 1 January 2017 and published here (https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...).

1. Please provide copies of any risk assessments and equality impact assessments that were carried out before NHS Digital entered into the MOU.

2. The board of NHS Digital was informed on 28 March 2017 by Sir Ian Andrews that “one key outcome of the review was the signing a tri-party memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Department of Health, NHS Digital and the Home Office” (at paragraph 4.1(a)).

Please:
a. Confirm who, and on the basis of what authority, approved the signing of the MOU by NHS Digital;
b. Confirm whether the NHS Digital board considered the MOU before it was signed and provide copies of any minutes;
c. Confirm whether any committee of the NHS Digital board considered the MOU before it was signed and provide copies of any minutes;
d. Provide copies of any board papers, updates or other materials (including any correspondence between NHS Digital and the Home Office) that enabled the board, such committee, or any officer or employee to conclude that the terms of the MOU would be lawful and appropriately safeguard NHS patients’ confidential data; and
e. Provide a copy of the review mentioned by Sir Ian Andrews.

3. Please confirm whether there have been any previous data sharing agreements, memoranda of understanding or guidance on data sharing between NHS Digital / HSCIC and the Home Office. If so, please provide copies of any such agreements.

Yours faithfully,

Lara ten Caten

HSCIC Enquiries,

 

Ref: NIC-136626-R7V9M 

Dear Lara Ten Caten,

I am writing to acknowledge that your request for information was received
by NHS Digital on 21/08/2017 and is currently being considered.

If NHS Digital is able to provide you with the information you have
requested, then under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act you are
entitled to receive it promptly and in any event no later than the 20th
working day following the date of receipt. However, we may need to contact
you to clarify your request. If this is required we aim to do this
promptly but no later than 7 days after receiving your initial request for
information.

May I take this opportunity to explain the FOI Act in more detail? The Act
provides a 'General right of access to information held by public
authorities'. However, it also defines a number of exemptions which may
prevent the release of some or all of the information you have requested.
Therefore, NHS Digital will assess your information request in light of
any relevant exemptions.

If exemptions do apply, then NHS Digital may decide not to release all, or
part, of the information you have requested. I shall inform you if this is
the case, and advise you of your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken as to whether to
release the information to you.

The response to your request will be sent to you by email, however if you
require your response in any other format, please contact us to discuss a
suitable format.

NHS Digital will not normally charge a fee to provide you with the
information you have requested, unless the cost of dealing with your
request is more than £450 as outlined in Section 12 of the FOI Act and
Section 3 of the The FOI and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees)
Regulations 2004. If it appears likely that your request will cost more,
then NHS Digital is able to refuse to supply the information.  As per our
obligations under Section 16 of the FOI Act, every effort will be made to
provide you with details of how you may be able to reframe your request in
order for us to complete the required work within the (£450 / 18 person
hours) cost limit.

If you have any queries or should you wish to make a complaint about the
manner in which your request is being processed then please do not
hesitate to contact us at [1][NHS Digital request email] in the first
instance. Any complaints will be investigated in accordance with NHS
Digital's complaints procedure.

Further information about your rights under the Freedom of Information
Act, is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, Wilmslow,
Cheshire and on the NHS Digital website.

Kind Regards,

Contact Centre Team
NHS Digital
[2]www.digital.nhs.uk

0300 303 5678
[3][NHS Digital request email]

1 Trevelyan Square | Boar Lane | Leeds | LS1 6AE

NHS Digital provides information and technology for better health and
care. Find out more about who we are and what we do
at [4]www.digital.nhs.uk

NHS Digital Customer Service Contact Centre in Leeds, has been awarded
Customer Service Excellence Standard Certification, In accordance with the
requirements of the Cabinet Offices Customer Service Excellence Standard

------------------- Original Message

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-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[NHS Digital request email]
2. http://www.digital.nhs.uk/
3. mailto:[NHS Digital request email]
4. http://www.digital.nhs.uk/
5. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
6. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
7. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
8. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

IG COMPLIANCE, Hscic (NHS DIGITAL), NHS Digital

1 Attachment

Dear Requestor

 

Please find attached our response to your email dated 21 August 2017 in
relation to your Information Request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000.

 

NHS Digital has responded to some but not all aspects of your information
request and we endeavour to provide a full response to you by the end of
the week.  We will keep you informed on progress.

 

Yours faithfully

IG Compliance

NHS Digital

 

NHS Digital provides information and technology for better health and
care. Find out more about who we are and what we do at
[1]www.digital.nhs.uk

 

@NHSDigitalenquiries @nhsdigital.nhs.uk

 

General enquiries: 0300 303 5678

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HSCIC Enquiries,

1 Attachment

Ref: NIC-136626-R7V9M

Dear Lara,

Please accept my sincere apologies but the response below (and attached)
was sent before being sent for approval so this is not an official, final
response to your request.

Could you please request that this is withdrawn from the What Do They Know
website until the final response is sent out.  Could you please reply to
this email to confirm if this has been completed?

We are in the process of finalising and gaining approval for the response
which should be with you by the end of the week.

Kind Regards,

Jillian Hudson 

Contact Centre Team
NHS Digital
[1]www.digital.nhs.uk

0300 303 5678
[2][NHS Digital request email]

1 Trevelyan Square | Boar Lane | Leeds | LS1 6AE

You can find out more about our service, including our response times and
customer charter on the NHS Digital website:
[3]https://www.digital.nhs.uk/contact-us/cu...

NHS Digital Customer Service Contact Centre in Leeds, has been awarded
Customer Service Excellence Standard Certification, In accordance with the
requirements of the Cabinet Offices Customer Service Excellence Standard

HSCIC Enquiries,

1 Attachment

Ref: NIC-136626-R7V9M 

Dear Lara Ten Caten,

Many thanks for your recent request to NHS Digital.

We have now received a reply to this from our colleagues in the
Information Governance team.

Please see the attached file.

Kind Regards,

Contact Centre Team
NHS Digital
[1]www.digital.nhs.uk

0300 303 5678

[2][NHS Digital request email]

1 Trevelyan Square | Boar Lane | Leeds | LS1 6AE

HSCIC now operate under the new trading name of NHS Digital – clarifying
our role as the national information and technology partner for the health
and care system.

NHS Digital Customer Service Contact Centre in Leeds, has been awarded
Customer Service Excellence Standard Certification, In accordance with the
requirements of the Cabinet Offices Customer Service Excellence Standard

References

Visible links
1. http://www.digital.nhs.uk/
2. mailto:[NHS Digital request email]

HSCIC Enquiries,

1 Attachment

Ref: NIC-145599-X1Y7B 

Dear Operational IG (NHS Digital),

Many thanks for your recent request to NHS Digital.

We have now received a reply to this from our colleagues in the
Information Governance team.

Please see the attached file.

Kind Regards,

Contact Centre Team
NHS Digital
[1]www.digital.nhs.uk

0300 303 5678

[2][NHS Digital request email]

1 Trevelyan Square | Boar Lane | Leeds | LS1 6AE

HSCIC now operate under the new trading name of NHS Digital – clarifying
our role as the national information and technology partner for the health
and care system.

NHS Digital Customer Service Contact Centre in Leeds, has been awarded
Customer Service Excellence Standard Certification, In accordance with the
requirements of the Cabinet Offices Customer Service Excellence Standard

References

Visible links
1. http://www.digital.nhs.uk/
2. mailto:[NHS Digital request email]

HSCIC Enquiries,

1 Attachment

Ref: NIC-145599-X1Y7B 

Dear Lara Ten Caten ,

Many thanks for your recent request to NHS Digital.

We have now received a reply to this from our colleagues in the
Information Governance team.

Please see the attached file.

Kind Regards,

Contact Centre Team
NHS Digital
[1]www.digital.nhs.uk

0300 303 5678

[2][NHS Digital request email]

1 Trevelyan Square | Boar Lane | Leeds | LS1 6AE

HSCIC now operate under the new trading name of NHS Digital – clarifying
our role as the national information and technology partner for the health
and care system.

NHS Digital Customer Service Contact Centre in Leeds, has been awarded
Customer Service Excellence Standard Certification, In accordance with the
requirements of the Cabinet Offices Customer Service Excellence Standard

References

Visible links
1. http://www.digital.nhs.uk/
2. mailto:[NHS Digital request email]

HSCIC Enquiries,

4 Attachments

Ref: NIC-136626-R7V9M

Dear Lara

Thank you for your email.

Please see attached response and attachments from our Information
Governance Team

If we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to get in
touch.

Kind Regards,

Contact Centre Team
NHS Digital
[1]www.digital.nhs.uk

0300 303 5678
[2][NHS Digital request email]

1 Trevelyan Square | Boar Lane | Leeds | LS1 6AE

You can find out more about our service, including our response times and
customer charter on the NHS Digital website:
[3]https://www.digital.nhs.uk/contact-us/cu...

NHS Digital Customer Service Contact Centre in Leeds, has been awarded
Customer Service Excellence Standard Certification, In accordance with the
requirements of the Cabinet Offices Customer Service Excellence Standard

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.digital.nhs.uk/
2. mailto:[NHS Digital request email]
3. https://www.digital.nhs.uk/contact-us/cu...