Group B Strep guidelines, patient information materials, and rates of neonatal infection

The request was successful.

Dear Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,

The charity Group B Strep Support is doing some research into group B Strep prevention policies, information provision, and types of GBS testing done across the UK.

Please would you fill in the spreadsheet found at https://gbss.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2...

Please let me know if any questions are unclear. To assist with responding to this FOI request, we would expect questions 1-6 and 8-9 to need input from the Midwifery/Obstetrics & Gynaecology department, while questions 10-14 will likely need input from the Microbiology department.

Please provide answers to the spreadsheet linked above in an Excel format.

Yours faithfully,

Oliver Plumb

FOI, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Mr Plumb,

Freedom of Information Act Request Acknowledgment

Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information Office at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We confirm that we have received your correspondence.

Your request below is being considered and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days following the date on which the request was received, as defined by the Act, subject to the information not being covered by an exemption or containing reference to a third party.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of some or all of the information you have requested. There will be an assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then the information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the case, including your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to release some or all of the information to you. You will be informed if this is the case.

There may be a fee payable for this information. This will be considered and you will be informed if as fee is payable. In this event the fee must be paid before the information is processed and released. The 20 working day time limit for responses is suspended until receipt of payment. You will be informed if this is the case.
If you have made a request for information held by the Trust - we will contact you as soon as possible if we need any further information to enable us to answer your request. If we don't need any further information we will respond to you within the statutory timescale of 20 working days following the date on which the request was received.

If you have any further queries or concerns then please do not hesitate to contact us.

With best regards,

Alan Larn.

Alan Larn | communications officer (Freedom of Information) | communications department
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Nethermayne | Essex | SS16 5NL
01268 524900 ext 2992
[Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust request email]

safe  caring  excellent  …together

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Hi,

My FOI request relating to group B Strep guidelines, patient information materials, and rates of neonatal infection has, by my reckoning, been delayed beyond the 20 working day timescale set out by the FOIA and ICO.

I would be very grateful if you could let me know on what date I will be receiving your reply please?

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Plumb

FOI, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Mr Plumb,

I can confirm that the trust has not yet sent its response to this request, for which I apologise on behalf of the trust.

I have received responses in connection with the microbiology section of the request and I continue to pursue the remaining parts.

Please let me know if you would like to receive what has come in so far, or if you would prefer to wait until we are able to send a complete and comprehensive response.

With best regards,

Alan Larn.

Alan Larn | communications officer (Freedom of Information) |
Communications Department
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Nethermayne | Essex | SS16 5NL
01268 524900 ext 2992
[Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust request email]

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Hi Alan,

Thanks for the update - it probably makes it easier for both of us if the information is sent in one job lot, so I'm happy to wait until you have all the information collated.

Best wishes,

Oliver

Hi Alan,

Can I check on the status of my FOI request please?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks in advance,

Oliver

FOI, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Oliver,

I have answers to every question except the numbers requested in question 7. I have queried this, especially the numbers of live births, which I'm sure we hold. I may have to approach a different department for the other figures. I will be in touch as soon as I receive anything more.

With best regards,

Alan Larn.

Alan Larn | communications officer (Freedom of Information) |
Communications Department
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Nethermayne | Essex | SS16 5NL
01268 524900 ext 2992
[Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust request email]

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Hi Alan,

Please may I have an update on this FOI?

Thanks

Oliver

FOI, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Hi, Oliver,

I have received figures for births in the financial years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19, but, so far, I have not been able to track down anyone who has the other answers to question 12. I did ask again recently, but I am still waiting to hear back.

I will contact you as soon as I know whether we can expect to find the requested figures.

With best regards,

Alan Larn.

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Dear Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Group B Strep guidelines, patient information materials, and rates of neonatal infection'.

I made this request on 10 June 2019, and while I understand some information has been collated, I have not had a full response to my FOI request. By law, under all circumstances, the Trust should have responded by now.

I look forward to receiving a full response to my FOI request, and hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Oliver Plumb

FOI, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

3 Attachments

Dear Mr Plumb,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 10 June 2019, which has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Your request:

Please would you fill in the [attached] spreadsheet.

Our response:

Please see attached files [19-128 Group-B-Strep-Resp.xlsx]; RCOG Guide and RCOG Leaflet.

*With regard to question 7, please note that under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, any data that is below five would be deemed identifiable under section 40(2) of the Act. Releasing the requested information would risk making it possible to identify the individuals concerned.
The requested information is therefore exempt from disclosure under section 40 (Personal Information) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as the information constitutes data as of a third party.
Section 40(2) provides that personal data about third parties is exempt information if one of the conditions set out in section 40(3) is satisfied. Under the FOIA, disclosure of this information would breach the fair processing principles contained in the Data Protection Act 2018/General Data Protection Regulation where it would be unfair to that person.

I hope that the response that the Trust has provided is satisfactory.  However, if you are dissatisfied with the way in which your Freedom of Information request has been dealt with you can request an internal review. Please email [email address] within 40 working days with clarification of what you would like to be reviewed. We will aim to provide a review response within 20 working days.

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right under section 50 of the Act to apply to the Information Commissioner to seek resolution to the matter. Further details can be found on their website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/.

Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 – General statement of compliance

The Trust for its part is happy for you to reuse any of the information supplied to you in compliance with the Open Government Licence (OGL) terms:  Please click here for further details http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents... .  We do not permit the forwarding or sale of staff/departmental contact details and a specific Re-use of Information Regulations request is required for such purposes.

If relevant, you will need the permission of other information owners.  This can occur when you receive a document which is co-authored or where the ownership lies with another organisation.  Provision under both the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 does not entitle you to re-use the information without appropriate permissions.  Use must be in compliance with an Open Government Licence or other agreed terms.

We ask that you take a couple of minutes and complete a short survey in relation to your FOI request. The questions relate to your request and how it was handled and the response received. Click here.

Kind regards,

Alan Larn.

Alan Larn | communications officer (Freedom of Information) | Communications Department Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Nethermayne | Essex | SS16 5NL
01268 524900 ext 2992
[Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust request email]

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FOI, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Oliver,

The trust's response to this request was sent for authorisation to release some time ago. It has now been returned to me with approval to go out. I sent you that response separately a few moments ago.

With best regards and apologies for the delay,

Alan.

Alan Larn | communications officer (Freedom of Information) |
Communications Department
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Nethermayne | Essex | SS16 5NL
01268 524900 ext 2992
[Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust request email]

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Dear Alan,

Thank you for your email.

There is an error with the Trust's response to my FOI. The file you have sent over titled "19 128 RCOG guide.pdf" is presumably meant to be the Trust's clinical guidelines on group B Strep. It is in fact an identical file to the patient information leaflet titled "19 128 RCOG leaflet.pdf".

Please would you send over the Trust's clinical guidelines?

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Plumb

FOI, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Oliver,

My apologies - is this what you need?

Regards,

Alan.

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Dear Alan,

Yes that's exactly it. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Plumb

FOI, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Mr Plumb,

On behalf of the trust, I apologise for the length of time it took us to send our response to this request.

Do you still want us to carry out the internal review process with regard to this request?

With best regards,

Alan Larn.

Alan Larn | communications officer (Freedom of Information) |
Communications Department
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Nethermayne | Essex | SS16 5NL
01268 524900 ext 2992
[Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust request email]

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Dear Alan,

Thank you for your apology.

As I have now had a completed response to my FOI, I don't feel there is a need for an internal review, so no - please disregard my email requesting an internal review.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Plumb