Services for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

This request has been withdrawn by the person who made it. There may be an explanation in the correspondence below.

Dear NHS Surrey Heath Clinical Commissioning Group,

I am writing as a volunteer researcher for the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome-UK (www.nofas-uk.org) to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act. I am working in cooperation with an ad hoc group of leaders from the organisation and other experts to frame and shape this research project and to analyse the information we receive.

Background

In February 2017, Lord Boateng asked the government “what assessment they have made of the measures adopted in Scotand which provide guidance and support for children and young adults affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.” Lord O’Shaughnessy replied that “Early intervention services can help reduce some of the effects of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and prevent some of the secondary disabilities that result. Responsibility for commissioning these services lies with clinical commissioning groups. [Hansard, Written Question HL5052, 10 February 2017. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publi...

This government policy was reiterated in July 2017 when Lord Campbell-Savours asked the government “what support they are providing for persons whose condition has been described as foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.” [Hansard, Written Question HL500 and Written Answer, 18 July 2017, https://www.parliament.uk/business/publi... In response, Lord O’Shaughnessy for the government wrote that “It is recognised that Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) can have a significant impact on the early development of children, their behaviours and their life chances. Early intervention services can help reduce some of the effects of FASD and prevent some of the secondary disabilities that result. Responsibility for commissioning these services lies with clinical commissioning groups.” This was again repeated on 8 May 2018 by Steve Brine, Parliamentary Under-secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care. [Hansard, Written Question 139045, 8 May 2018. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publi...

The following conditions fall under the Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) umbrella: Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD), Foetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) and partial Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS)) or neurodevelopmental disorders linked to prenatal alcohol exposure (NDPAE)

Request for Information

In light of the above information I would like to ask you to provide:
1) Copies of any policies that the Trust has on the prevention of FASD, and on the diagnosis and post-diagnostic care pathway for patients with an FASD. Also your policy on the training of Trust personnel to manage patients with FASD.
2) Any information you hold on services your Trust provided for FASD for
a. prevention education following the 2016 Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines that the safest course is not to drink while pregnant or attempting to become pregnant;
b. diagnosis for both children and adults;
c. post-diagnostic care in the financial years beginning 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
3) Information on the number of Doctors in your Trust who currently provide diagnostic and/or post-diagnostic services for FASD? Please provide their names and posts. Whether your Trust employs specifically trained professionals, including but not limited to nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, to provide specialised services for patients on the FASD spectrum? If so, in what specialties, and how many? Please provide their names and posts.
4) Information on training provided to personnel in your Trust on FASD, or provided by others and accessed by your personnel.
5) Information you hold on whether your Trust sends patients for FASD diagnosis to the National FASD Clinic in Surrey (https://www.fasdclinic.com/)? Did your refer any patients to the National FASD Clinic in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and in 2018, and if so, how many in each year?
6) What was your budget for services for FASD in each financial year since that starting in 2013 and including the current financial year?
7) Please provide copies of any agreed plans you have to expand the budget or services in coming years.
If you are considering rejecting this request on the grounds of the costs of responding exceeding the statutory limits then please respond to as many of the numbered items as possible within the limit, in the order they have been presented.

Yours faithfully,

Sandra Butcher

Foi (NHS SOUTH, CENTRAL AND WEST COMMISSIONING SUPPORT UNIT), NHS Surrey Heath Clinical Commissioning Group

1 Attachment

Reference: FOI 27314 SH 10C

 

 

Dear Ms Butcher

 

Thank you for your request for information which we received on 23 July
2018 regarding documents and services relating to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders.

 

I am pleased to acknowledge your request on behalf of the following
Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG):

 

o NHS Surrey Heath CCG

 

We will be dealing with your request for information in accordance with
the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

Under the Act we have 20 working days to respond to your request and we
expect to be in a position to reply to you by 20 August 2018.

 

Dealing with your request:

In normal circumstances we should be able to (a) confirm or deny that we
hold this information and (b) if we hold it, send it to you within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days. You should note however that the
Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent us complying with
either of these duties. We will explain if this is the case and if we
apply the 'public interest test' to our decision.

 

If you have any queries about this e-mail, please contact me quoting the
reference number above in any future communications.

Further information about the Freedom of Information Act and the
Environmental Information Regulations may be found on the Information
Commissioner’s website at [1]https://ico.org.uk/.

 

Yours sincerely,

Tolis

 

Apostolos Pasidis | FOI Administrator

 

NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit

 

[2]www.scwcsu.nhs.uk

[3]cid:image006.jpg@01D3AFD6.1D365B00

Please be aware that all e-mails received and sent by this organisation
are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and may be disclosed
to a third party. If you believe you have been sent this message in error,
please inform the sender and delete the message and any attachments as
soon as possible. All messages sent by this organisation are checked for
viruses but this does not, and cannot, guarantee that a virus has not been
transmitted.

 

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Foi (NHS SOUTH, CENTRAL AND WEST COMMISSIONING SUPPORT UNIT), NHS Surrey Heath Clinical Commissioning Group

3 Attachments

Reference: FOI 27314 SH 10C

 

 

Dear Ms Butcher

 

Thank you for your request for information which we received on 23 July
2018 regarding documents and services relating to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders

 

 

Under section 1 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I can
confirm that the below CCG does not hold the information requested. 
Please see the table attached where you will be signposted as to where
this information may be held. 

 

o NHS Surrey Heath CCG

 

 

If you are not satisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your
request for information, then in accordance with the Act you may ask us to
conduct a review.  Internal review requests should be submitted within two
months of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and
should be addressed to:

 

Freedom of Information Reviews, Freedom of Information Manager, Southgate
House, Pans Lane, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 5EQ.

or email: [1][email address]

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision.  Generally, the Information Commissioner's Office cannot make a
decision unless you have already exhausted NHS South, Central and West
Commissioning Support Unit's internal review procedure.  The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at:  The Information Commissioner's Office,
Wycliffe House, Wycliffe Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK6 5AF.

 

Further information about the Freedom of Information Act can be sourced on
the Information Commissioner's website: [2]http://www.ico.gov.uk/.

 

If you have any queries about this e-mail, please contact me.  Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Yasmin

 

Yasmin Fraser| Freedom Of Information Officer

NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit

 

[3]www.scwcsu.nhs.uk 

[4]Description:
http://intranet.scwcsu.nhs.uk/index.php/...

Please be aware that all e-mails received and sent by this organisation
are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and may be disclosed
to a third party. If you believe you have been sent this message in error,
please inform the sender and delete the message and any attachments as
soon as possible. All messages sent by this organisation are checked for
viruses but this does not, and cannot, guarantee that a virus has not been
transmitted.

 

 

 

From: Foi (NHS SOUTH, CENTRAL AND WEST COMMISSIONING SUPPORT UNIT)
Sent: 26 July 2018 10:21
To: [FOI #500787 email]
Subject: FOI 27314 SH 10C - Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders - FOI
Request Ack

 

Reference: FOI 27314 SH 10C

 

 

Dear Ms Butcher

 

Thank you for your request for information which we received on 23 July
2018 regarding documents and services relating to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders.

 

I am pleased to acknowledge your request on behalf of the following
Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG):

 

o NHS Surrey Heath CCG

 

We will be dealing with your request for information in accordance with
the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

Under the Act we have 20 working days to respond to your request and we
expect to be in a position to reply to you by 20 August 2018.

 

Dealing with your request:

In normal circumstances we should be able to (a) confirm or deny that we
hold this information and (b) if we hold it, send it to you within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days. You should note however that the
Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent us complying with
either of these duties. We will explain if this is the case and if we
apply the 'public interest test' to our decision.

 

If you have any queries about this e-mail, please contact me quoting the
reference number above in any future communications.

Further information about the Freedom of Information Act and the
Environmental Information Regulations may be found on the Information
Commissioner’s website at [5]https://ico.org.uk/.

 

Yours sincerely,

Tolis

 

Apostolos Pasidis | FOI Administrator

 

NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit

 

[6]www.scwcsu.nhs.uk

[7]cid:image006.jpg@01D3AFD6.1D365B00

Please be aware that all e-mails received and sent by this organisation
are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and may be disclosed
to a third party. If you believe you have been sent this message in error,
please inform the sender and delete the message and any attachments as
soon as possible. All messages sent by this organisation are checked for
viruses but this does not, and cannot, guarantee that a virus has not been
transmitted.

 

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