FOI Request - Patient access to internet
Dear FOI Officer,
I am writing to make a Freedom of Information Request for details about the cost and provision of internet access (over wifi) to patients within the Trust's hospitals.
More specifically, please provide the following:
1. The name, or names, of the organisation/s currently used to provide wifi access to patients within the Trust's hospitals. Please state whether these organisations are private companies, charities, government bodies, etc. If private companies, please provide the company number. Please specify which organisations operate in which hospitals and or wards.
2. Please provide a copy of the current pricing plan for patients and visitors wishing
to access wireless internet within the Trust's hospitals? If there is more than one
pricing plan, please supply information on all, making a note of which hospitals and wards they
apply to.
3. Please provide the current pricing plan/s in place for each of the following specific wards:
a) Intensive / critical care - adult, paediatric and neonatal
b) Oncology, both adult and paediatric
c) Emergency department, adult and paediatric
d) Specialist trauma centre
4. For the current financial year 2018/19 so far, up to today's date, 30 September 2018:
a) Please provide a breakdown for each hospital showing the total revenue from the provision of wifi internet access for patients. Please also show how much of this revenue was paid to / retained by the organisation providing the internet access, and how much of this revenue was retained by the Trust. If any set payments are paid to, or received from, the organisation to the Trust, by way of a licensing agreement or similar, please also provide details of that contract.
b) The same for the financial year 2017/18
c) The same for the financial year 2016/17
If you require any further information, please do no hesitate to contact me.
If my request is denied, either in whole or in part, I ask that you make specific reference to exemptions under the Act.
Yours faithfully,
Guy Basnett
Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI).
This emailbox is not monitored regularly.
I will ensure that you receive respond as soon as possible.
Kind regards,
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
IG/FOI Co-ordinator
Dear Guy,
I acknowledge receipt of your request under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, and you can expect the Trust’s response on or by 29/10/2018.
Yours sincerely,
IG/FOI Coordinator
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
Kempston Rd | Bedford | MK42 9DJ
Dear Guy,
I write in response to your request under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
Please see the trust’s replies below.
I am writing to make a Freedom of Information Request for details about the cost and provision of internet access (over wifi) to patients within the Trust's hospitals.
More specifically, please provide the following:
1. The name, or names, of the organisation/s currently used to provide wifi access to patients within the Trust's hospitals. Please state whether these organisations are private companies, charities, government bodies, etc. If private companies, please provide the company number. Please specify which organisations operate in which hospitals and or wards. WiFiSpark
2. Please provide a copy of the current pricing plan for patients and visitors wishing to access wireless internet within the Trust's hospitals? If there is more than one pricing plan, please supply information on all, making a note of which hospitals and wards they apply to. BH – WiFi – Spark – Free – no charge; BH-WiFi- Spark – premium - £4.50 (4 hours), £7.50 (24 hours), £14.50 (1 week), £19.50 (1 month). £110 (6 months), £198 ((1 year)
3. Please provide the current pricing plan/s in place for each of the following specific wards: No difference in pricing across hospital
a) Intensive / critical care - adult, paediatric and neonatal
b) Oncology, both adult and paediatric
c) Emergency department, adult and paediatric
d) Specialist trauma centre
4. For the current financial year 2018/19 so far, up to today's date, 30 September 2018: Total spend 6 months £1,856.50 INCOME LESS £464.13 Commission = £1,392.37 received.
a) Please provide a breakdown for each hospital showing the total revenue from the provision of wifi internet access for patients. Please also show how much of this revenue was paid to / retained by the organisation providing the internet access, and how much of this revenue was retained by the Trust. If any set payments are paid to, or received from, the organisation to the Trust, by way of a licensing agreement or similar, please also provide details of that contract.
b) The same for the financial year 2017/18 - Total spend £4,237.50 INCOME LESS £1,059.40 Commission = £3,178.10 received.
c) The same for the financial year 2016/17 – Income £1,899.37 received ( incl. commission deducted).
The income from patients is used to help offset the cost of WifiSpark providing wifi access across the whole hospital. They charge the hospital a monthly fee of £1,014.69 + £204.94 (Vat) = £1,217.63 per month.
This information is provided for your personal use and is the property of Bedford Hospital NHS Trust and subject to any existing Intellectual Property and Database Rights. Any commercial application or use of this information may be subject to the provisions of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (RPSI). This means that if you wish to re-use the information provided for commercial purposes for any reason you must ask the Trust for permission to do so.
I hope that this information is of help to you but if you are not satisfied with the Trust’s response, or want to complain about the way in which your request has been handled, you are entitled to request an internal review. To do so, please contact Damian Reid as SIRO/Director of Finance [email address] and should your complaint not be upheld you have the right to appeal against the decision by contacting the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
IG/FOI Coordinator
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
Kempston Rd | Bedford | MK42 9DJ
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now