Dear Belfast Trust,

As you will be aware, despite assurances of full transparency, we have not received a formal explanation for the neurology recall and reports such as the RCP report has been hidden from us.

We are left with no option other than to submit freedom of information requests so that we can continue to provide support to affected individuals.

The following questions have been submitted by members of the neurology recall support group & members of the ‘we support Dr Watt’ group.

We would like to thank you in advance for answering these requests.

1. Please provide the terms of reference for all active investigations.

2. For all Neurology, Neuropsychology, Neurophysiology, Neuroradiology & Neuroscience departments over the past 10 years;

(i) Please provide a list of any research funding/grants by date, amount, funding source and reason. Please include applications for funding that may or may not have been awarded.
(ii) Please provide a copy of all members research papers. Please include staff who are no longer employed by the Trust.
(iii) List any funding/grants that were denied/stopped/redacted for any reason.

3. Further to the table previously provided to NITSIP outlining the number of blood patches year on year for the past 10 years, please outline;
(i) The number of patients who received an Epidural Blood Patch & the reason for administration
(ii) If the procedures were administered as an inpatient/outpatient
(iii) The age & gender of patients who received an Epidural Blood Patch
(iv) The Neurologists/Anaesthetists/Surgeons who administered the patches

4. How many blood patch patients have since died?
5. How many patients had blood patch procedures outside of Northern Ireland? How many of these were seen during both recalls?

6. For all neurologists across all Trusts over the past 10 years, please outline;
(i) The total cost of medications prescribed by each neurologist year on year
(ii) The total number of invasive procedures per neurologist

7. For the past 10 years, please provide a year on year breakdown of Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder diagnoses. Please note that in 2013 the name changed from conversion disorder to FNSD or FND. Please outline if these diagnoses came from neurology or psychology.

8. Please provide a copy of the diagnostic criteria for;

(i) Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder
(iv) Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension
(v) Post Dural Puncture Headache

9. Please provide a detailed timeline of actions from when concerns were first raised in November 2016 to current date.

10. In relation to the multiple investigations, please advise;

(i) What date did the services of Dr Schievink begin?
(ii) How much did Dr Schievink’s services cost?
(iii) Have all blood patch patients received a copy of the notes made by Schievink/Trust in relation to their case?
(iv) Have all blood patch patients received a copy of the internal investigation that pertains to them?
(v) Please provide a copy of the internal investigation, redacting any personal information.
(vi) Please provide a copy of the RCP report, redacting any personal information.

11. In relation to Veritas, please advise;
(i) Who commissioned the services of Veritas?
(ii) What date did this begin?
(iii) Please provide a copy of the report

Yours faithfully,

lyndsay eccleston

Dear Turner, Clark,

The response to this request is now outstanding.

Yours sincerely,

lyndsay eccleston

Dear Clark

As per the Freedom of Information Act, can you please provide a date that the full response can be expected by?

Kind regards,

Lyndsay Eccleston

On Wed, 15 May 2019 at 11:14, Turner, Clark <[email address]> wrote:
Dear Ms Eccleston,

I am still working on this and am investigating what we are in a position to provide in response to your query.

I am sure you appreciate there is a lot of information being asked for which is held by a number of different service areas and departments, and sign off is necessary too.

I hope to have something over soon

Thanks for your patience and understanding

Best wishes

Clark Turner

Dear Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland),

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)'s handling of my FOI request 'Neurology Recall Support'.

You are now in breach of GDPR. All additional allowances for extra time have now expired.

Please respond promptly.

Yours faithfully,

Lyndsay Eccleston

Dear Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland),

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)'s handling of my FOI request 'Neurology Recall Support'.

The questions have not been appropriately answered.

Yours faithfully,

lyndsay eccleston

Dear PublicLiaison-SM,

Thank you. The reference is FOI/19989

Yours sincerely,

lyndsay eccleston

Dear Clark Turner

Can you please provide an update?

Yours sincerely,

lyndsay eccleston