Trust losses and special payments: FOIA

The request was successful.

Dear Sir or Madam,

This is a FOIA request. The Trust is required to provide information on losses and special payments in its annual report. I am writing to request additional, more detailed information regarding these losses and payments. I am making this request because I believe there is a clear and compelling public interest in understanding more about the types of losses and special payments the Trust makes.

1. Losses and special payments

Please provide a copy of your losses and special payments register or database for the year 2016-17. I would expect this information to include, but not necessarily be limited to:

a) Category of loss or special payment (e.g. bad debt, fruitless payment, compensation payment made under legal obligation) as defined in relevant losses and special payments policy or procedure documents.
b) A summary of the loss
c) Amount paid out in £ Sterling (or other currency)
d) Debtor name (where that debtor is a company or disclosure of a person’s name is permitted by the data protection provisions of s.40)

2. Bad debts

a) Please state how much bad debt was written off in the year 2016-17.
b) If, and only if, you hold the information in an easily retrievable format, i.e. not in individual case files, please state how much of this bad debt was non-NHS and/or private patient debt write offs and/or overseas visitors related.

This request is only concerned with information which is easily exportable and does not require the Trust to review individual case files, which might trigger the cost threshold (s.12). I am interested in any and all relevant information which is easily exportable and that provides greater clarity on how losses were accrued and special payments were made, but which is not published in your annual report. The information I am requesting should not, therefore, be caught by s.21 or s.22.

If you consider that some information is exempt from disclosure please cite the section of the FOIA you are using to redact information. Please also ensure any redactions you make are sufficiently granular and do not withhold information on a 'blanket' basis. When applying exemptions which contain a public interest test, please also explain, in line with the guiding principles of the Information Tribunal, how the public interest would be, or would be likely to be, materially prejudiced by disclosure.

I would be grateful if you could be mindful of your statutory duty to provide advice and assist to requesters (s.16) when responding to this request. I would prefer to receive all information electronically and in machine-readable formats (such as .xls) where applicable. I would also be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of this request.

Thank you for the time you will invest in providing a response.

Gratefully,

Lucas Amin

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Lucas

 

Thank you for your request for information from Airedale NHS Foundation
Trust which was received on 5^th September 2017.  Your request has been
given the Reference Number 3047. 

 

We will now proceed to process the request.  The deadline date for issuing
you with a full response is 3^rd October 2017.   We will endeavour to
respond to you in advance of this date and we will contact you if we
envisage delays or if we need more information from you.

 

Please note that under the Freedom of Information Act, some information
can be subject to exemptions, which means that the Trust does not have to
provide the information requested.  Some exemptions are “absolute” such as
personal information and some only apply where the public interest in
maintaining the exemption, outweighs that of providing the information.

 

In some cases, where identifying, retrieving and processing the requested
information requires more time than the appropriate “cost limit” of two
and half days work, we may refuse the request, or we may charge a fee.  If
the latter is the case, I will let you know and a Fees Notice will be
issued to you.  If you still wish to receive the information, you will
need to pay the fee before we proceed with your request. 

 

We will offer assistance and advise you if, by modifying your request, we
could provide you with some non-exempt or free of charge information.

 

Please contact me, quoting the Reference Number above, with any questions
you might have about your request.

 

With kind regards

 

Tim Rycroft

Head of Information Technology Services & Information Governance

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust | Skipton Road | Steeton | Keighley | BD20
6TD | Location: IT Business Centre | Zone C | Department 48

FOI:  01535 292738

[1]http://www.airedale-trust.nhs.uk / Follow us on Twitter
[2]@AiredaleNHSFT

 

 

Sent on behalf of Tim Rycroft by Deborah Cocker, Information Governance
Asst. (my usual working pattern is Mon-Thurs)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2 Attachments

Dear Mr Amin

 

Further to your application to access information under the Freedom of
Information Act (Our Ref. 3047) please find a spreadsheet attached which
provides the requested data.

 

We trust you find our response helpful.  If you feel we are not complying
with our publication scheme, you feel your request has not been properly
handled, or you are dissatisfied, you can write to Bridget Fletcher, Chief
Executive at the address below to request a review.  You also have the
right to complain to the Information Commissioner under section 50 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 if you are dissatisfied with the outcome
of that review.

 

You may use and re-use the information we have provided (not including
logos or photographs) unless identified as another party's copyright, free
of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government
Licence which can be viewed via the link below.

 [1]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/o...

 

We are continually working to improve our Freedom of Information service
and we will shortly send you a brief, anonymous, on line feedback form. 
We would be very grateful if you could take a few moments to complete and
submit this.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Tim Rycroft

Head of Information Technology Services & Information Governance

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust | Skipton Road | Steeton | Keighley | BD20
6TD | Location: IT Business Centre | Zone C | Department 48

FOI:  01535 292738

[2]http://www.airedale-trust.nhs.uk / Follow us on Twitter
[3]@AiredaleNHSFT

[4]cid:image001.jpg@01D32BC9.B3A93CB0

 

 

Sent on behalf of Tim Rycroft by Deborah Cocker, Information Governance
Asst. (my usual working pattern is Mon-Thurs)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Deborah Cocker,

2 Attachments

 

We recently responded to your request under the Freedom of Information Act
for some information from Airedale NHS Foundation Trust. 

 

It would help us at the Trust to receive your feedback about the service
you received and to know if there is anything we can do to improve it.   

 

Please take a moment to answer just 10 brief questions by clicking on
this link: [1]https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8Y9R5T2

 

 

All responses are anonymous - no-one will contact you as a result of giving your
feedback.

 

If you would like to discuss a Freedom of Information issue, or make a
further FOI request, please contact us separately at [2][Airedale NHS Foundation Trust request email] 

 

Thank you very much for your help.

 

With kind regards

Tim Rycroft

Head of IG/IT

 

 

Sent on behalf of Tim Rycroft by Deborah Cocker, Information Governance
Asst.  (My usual work pattern is Mon – Thurs)

 

 

 

 

 

Deborah Cocker

IG Asst, IT Business Centre, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, KEIGHLEY BD20
6TD

[3]Description: cid:image001.jpg@01D12E87.2B256A30

[4]cid:image003.png@01D17DE1.C86C0110Zone C - Location 48

 

Tel. 01535 292738 (direct) Email [5][email address]

 

My usual working pattern is Mon-Thurs

 

References

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1. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8Y9R5T2
2. mailto:[Airedale NHS Foundation Trust request email]
4. http://www.airedale-trust.nhs.uk/map/
5. mailto:[email address]