NHS / DWP data-sharing technical proof of concept opportunity - Patient Records

The request was successful.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Re: NHS / DWP data-sharing technical proof of concept opportunity

At:
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s...

The Department explained:
“We've completed Discovery, including proof of concept research with a medical records broker, finding:
- Citizens don't always have / understand the information needed to process their applications - we have to verify their responses with medical professionals - easier if we could access directly (with appropriate consent)
- The current process is largely clerical / paper-based, which is slow and expensive - easier if automated routine requests and digitise ad-hoc requests.
- GPs don't always have / understand information about citizens' 'functional capability', therefore route needed to more relevant medical professionals, such as secondary and community care providers.”

RFI1: Please disclose if the Department has consulted any of the following organisations as part of its work to date:
- Information Commissioner.
- General Medical Council.
- Royal College of General Practitioners.
- British Medical Association.
- Any specialists in medical ethics.

As part of the work to reach this point I assume the DWP will have produced a report(s) summarising what it ‘discovered’ and used this to obtain approval to move forward with this supplier opportunity.

RFI2: Please disclose these reports. Please note this is not a request for everything produced during the discovery process.

RFI3: If issues and risks registers/logs exist for the work to date please disclose them.

If the requested information is not available centrally then please forward this request for information to the relevant person in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

This request is made on the basis that personal information would be redacted as it is exempt under S.40(2) FOIA.

Yours faithfully,

John Slater

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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no-reply@dwp.ecase.co.uk on behalf of DIGITAL Freedom of Information Mailbox, Department for Work and Pensions

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Dear John Slater,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 4th
March.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

no-reply@dwp.ecase.co.uk on behalf of DIGITAL Freedom of Information Mailbox, Department for Work and Pensions

2 Attachments

Dear John Slater,

Please find attached the Green Paper and Response paper mentioned in the
response to your request for information, received 4th March.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'NHS / DWP data-sharing technical proof of concept opportunity - Patient Records'.

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, I do not believe that the information provided is what I requested. My request for information (“RFI”) was based within the context of the “NHS / DWP data-sharing technical proof of concept opportunity” released here:

https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.g...

I quoted the Department’s own words:
““We've completed Discovery, including proof of concept research with a medical records broker, finding:
- Citizens don't always have / understand the information needed to process their applications - we have to verify their responses with medical professionals - easier if we could access directly (with appropriate consent)
- The current process is largely clerical / paper-based, which is slow and expensive - easier if automated routine requests and digitise ad-hoc requests.
- GPs don't always have / understand information about citizens' 'functional capability', therefore route needed to more relevant medical professionals, such as secondary and community care providers.””

My RFI1 asked
“RFI1: Please disclose if the Department has consulted any of the following organisations as part of its work to date:
- Information Commissioner.
- General Medical Council.
- Royal College of General Practitioners.
- British Medical Association.
- Any specialists in medical ethics.

Whilst the information provided is very interesting it doesn’t contain the requested information and I suggest giving me a green paper when I asked about a very specific IT related activity does not meet the Department’s obligations under the FOIA. I would be grateful if someone looked at my RFI again and provided a more appropriate response.

My RFI2 was also set within the same context and I specifically explained:

“As part of the work to reach this point I assume the DWP will have produced a report(s) summarising what it ‘discovered’ and used this to obtain approval to move forward with this supplier opportunity.

RFI2: Please disclose these reports. Please note this is not a request for everything produced during the discovery process.”
The context is clear that the reports I asked for are those that were produced as part of the following activity:

“We've completed Discovery, including proof of concept research with a medical records broker …”

I do not believe it is credible that the 94 page report provided could possible meet the requirements of my RFI2 as the “proof of concept research with a medical records broker” isn’t mentioned anywhere. I would be grateful if someone looked at my RFI again and provided a more appropriate response.

In respect of RFI3 I note the Departments claim that S.35(1)(a) is engaged. I am very familiar with the Department’s arguments in this area and I’m afraid that it hasn’t made out its case for engaging this exemption. I won’t bother producing a detailed rebuttal here, but I will remind the Department that the only research carried out on the impact of the FOIA on Government concluded that the chilling effect is a myth.

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,

John Slater

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
 
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct. 
 
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
 
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
 
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
 
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
 

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Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,

I would be grateful if the Department responded to my IRR of 1 April 2019 without further delay. I hope that I will not have to complain to the ICO about the Department again.

Yours sincerely,

John Slater

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
 
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct. 
 
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
 
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
 
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
 
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
 

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References

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1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

no-reply@dwp.ecase.co.uk on behalf of DWP Central FOI Team, Department for Work and Pensions

2 Attachments

Dear John Slater,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 1st
April.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team