Dear J Taylor

 

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 to Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation
Trust, received on 22/7/15. Your enquiry has been logged and forwarded to
the appropriate department for action.  Please note that the Act allows 20
full working days to provide a response although we will endeavour to do
so before then. The deadline is calculated to be 20/8/15.

 

If you have any queries regarding your request, please do not hesitate to
contact me on this email address or 01206 745205.

 

Regards

 

Liz Mason

Freedom of Information Manager            

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

 

 

Dear Andy

 

Please find below a Freedom of Information request which I believe you may
be able to assist with.

 

1.         Which VAT advisor does the trust use? (E.g. Berthold Bauer,
CRS, Liaison, EY, KPMG, etc.)

2.         When did the contract start, and when does it end?

3.         What % fee or day rate do you pay?

4.         How much did you pay for VAT advisory services in 2014/15?

5.         Do you use a provider for VAT re-reviews? If so, which one?

6.         What % fee or day rate do you pay for a re-review service?

7.         How much did you pay for this service in 2014/15?

8.         Do you use any external provider to identify payments for
duplicated invoices (please state name)?

9.         When did the contract start, and when does it end?

            What % fee or rates do you pay for the service?

10.       How much did they invoice the trust in 2014/15?

11.       How much bad debt (UK) was written off in 2014/15?

12.       How much overseas debt was written off in 2014/15?

13.       Do you use any external provider to assist with debt collection
(please state name)?

14.       What % fee or rates do you pay for the service?

15.       How much did they invoice the trust in 2014/15?

16.       Do you use any external provider to ensure invoices correlate to
the contract charges i.e. checking volume discounts have been   
            applied (please state name)?

17.       What % fee or rates does the trust pay for this service?

 

Could you please acknowledge receipt of this FOI request within 48 hours
of receiving it and specify whether you are able to provide the
information. If you have the information required please forward it to me
by 6/8/15 (10 working days), getting it approved by your AD before
returning.

 

If there are any aspects of this request to which you cannot respond,
please inform me as soon as possible so that I can forward the request to
the appropriate person.

 

If there are any aspects of this request which you find unclear and wish
to clarify with the requester, please inform me as soon as possible and I
will liaise with the requester.

 

Many thanks for your help.

 

Kind regards

 

Liz Mason

Freedom of Information Manager            

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

 

 

 

Dear J Taylor

 

Further to your request made to Colchester Hospital University NHS
Foundation Trust for information relating to the above and pursuant to the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, please see the Trust’s response below.

 

You requested:

 

 

1.         Which VAT advisor does the trust use? (E.g. Berthold Bauer,
CRS, Liaison, EY, KPMG, etc.)

Response

CRS VAT Consulting.

 

2.         When did the contract start, and when does it end?

Response

Started 2012 and is due to end December 2016.

 

3.         What % fee or day rate do you pay?

Response

This is commercially sensitive and could impact significantly on the
current supplier’s business as the % rates offered by all companies are
closely grouped and it would be very easy to undercut rates to win
business if they are disclosed.

So, although the Trust holds the information you require, we have
determined that unfortunately it is exempt from release under Section 43
(2) (Commercial Interests) of the Act, as to do so could inhibit the
commercial interests of not only our supplier, but also those of the Trust
as a Public Authority. There is a Public Interest test when considering
this exemption, and after due consideration the Trust believes it is not
in the Public Interest to release this information, as to do so could
place the Trust at a disadvantage in future commercial negotiations.

 

4.         How much did you pay for VAT advisory services in 2014/15?

Response

Nil

 

5.         Do you use a provider for VAT re-reviews? If so, which one?

Response

CRS VAT Consulting.

 

6.         What % fee or day rate do you pay for a re-review service?

Response

Please see response 3.

 

7.         How much did you pay for this service in 2014/15?

Response

£16,900 based on a % of identified VAT recovery not a fixed contract rate.

 

8.         Do you use any external provider to identify payments for
duplicated invoices (please state name)? Rockford Associates.

Response

Rockford Associates

 

9.         When did the contract start, and when does it end?

Response

One-off usage.

What % fee or rates do you pay for the service?

Response

Please see response 3

 

10.       How much did they invoice the trust in 2014/15?

Response

£1000

 

11.       How much bad debt (UK) was written off in 2014/15?

Response

£700

 

12.       How much overseas debt was written off in 2014/15?

Response

£11,700

 

13.       Do you use any external provider to assist with debt collection
(please state name)?

Response

Icon Collections International Ltd

 

14.       What % fee or rates do you pay for the service?

Response

Please see response 3

 

15.       How much did they invoice the trust in 2014/15?

Response

£6,300

16.       Do you use any external provider to ensure invoices correlate to
the contract charges i.e. checking volume discounts have been   
            applied (please state name)?

Response

No

 

17.       What % fee or rates does the trust pay for this service?

Response

N/A

 

If you are dissatisfied with the way Colchester Hospital University NHS
Foundation Trust has handled your request for information, you can request
a review by writing to:

 

The Senior Information Risk Owner
Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

Trust Headquarters
Colchester General Hospital
Turner Road
Colchester, Essex, CO4 5JL

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire,

SK9 5AF.

Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45 Website: [1]www.ico.gov.uk

There is no charge for making an appeal. Further information on your
rights under FOI is available here: [2]www.ico.gov.uk

 

This information is protected by Intellectual Property Rights and
Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust does not give you
permission to make any commercial use of any part of this message. Any
copies you make must be attributed to us and you must seek permission from
the Trust if you wish to reproduce or publish this information in any
format.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Liz Mason

Freedom of Information Manager            

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

 

 

References

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1. http://www.ico.gov.uk/
2. http://www.ico.gov.uk/