hospital acquired infection relating to COVID-19

The request was refused by Public Health England.

Mr Richard Johnson

Dear Public Health England,

I am seeking information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to hospital acquired infection with COVID 19 by staff and patients in NHS Trusts.

For the purpose of this request:

- “staff" means all staff by all staff engaged in the business of NHS Trusts providing acute hospital services:
- permanent staff, temporary and casual staff, bank staff, agency staff, contract staff (including domestic staff), volunteers
- clinical, non-clinical staff, administrative, manual and all other staff

- “patients" mean all patients admitted to hospital or already in-patients during the period requested.

In all cases the latest data available is requested, including Friday 26 June or later.

The information requested relates to

A) staff sickness
B) patients with COVID-19.

A) Staff sickness

“Staff” is used as defined above. Staff sickness includes
- all episodes of staff sickness resulting in non-attendance on duty or provision of contractual sick pay
- any other reported episodes of sickness, shown separately from the above, but reported for any reason in relation to staff

Numbers of staff sick in each week from 1 December 2019 in each Trust.

Breakdowns of staff sickness by Trust
- by employment category, including permanent staff, temporary and casual staff, bank staff, agency staff, contract staff (including domestic staff)
- by occupation, including nurse, doctor, HCA, domestic, administrative
- by sickness category, to show symptomatic COVID, confirmed COVID diagnosis, and sickness unrelated to COVID.

Comparable staff sickness each week from 1 December 2018 to June 2019
- a breakdown is not needed unless easily available

B) Patients with COVID-19

Numbers of cases identified weekly from 1 February 2020 in each Trust

- with positive COVID specimens identified
- Before admission
- 0-2 days after admission
- 3-7 days after admission
- 8-14 days after admission
- 15 or more days after admission

- Among cases identified 0-7 days after admission,
number patients readmitted to the hospital 14 days or less after an earlier discharge from
ECT.

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I am interested in any information held by Public Health England regarding my request. I understand that I do not have to specify particular files or documents and it is PHE's responsibility to provide the information I require. If you need further clarification please contact me by email.

I would like the information to be emailed to me in electronic form, in spreadsheets where possible.

I expect you to release all non-exempt material. If my request is denied in whole or in part, please would you justify all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the Act.

I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request. I look forward to your response within 20 days.

Thank you for your help.

FOI, Public Health England

Thank you for your email.

The subject matter in question does not fall within Public Health England (PHE)'s remit. We, therefore, confirm PHE does not hold the information you have requested. Under Section 16 of the FOI Act, public authorities have a duty to provide advice and assistance. Accordingly you may wish to contact NHS England who may be able to assist you further.

FOI Team
Public Accountability Unit
Public Health England
[PHE request email]
Tel: 020 8327 6920 
www.gov.uk/phe   Follow us on Twitter @PHE uk

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