Income, Activity & Waiting times for Ophthalmology services
Dear Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust,
We are writing from the Centre for Health and the Public Interest, a charitable think-tank which produces evidence-based research on the health and social care sectors.
Our current project is quantifying and examining the impact of the shift in provision of eye-care services, in particular cataract surgeries, from NHS Trusts towards independent providers.
A survey of all ICBs for a breakdown of spending and activity recorded against each HRG coded procedure has provided a consistent dataset showing patterns of delivery & spend over the previous six years, we have looked at the growth of the independent sector, but what we would like to understand is the impact of the loss of cataract surgery income on NHS Trusts.
We have sent this request to the 90 NHS Trusts providing a significant amount of ophthalmology services to build a dataset which covers a wide breadth of sizes, scopes and operating models of different NHS Trust eye-care departments.
Could you therefore please provide:
1. Income
For each of the financial years between 2017/18 and 2022/23, the annual income, including both inpatient and outpatient care, from:
A. All ophthalmology services in total
B. Care for Cataracts
C. Care for Glaucoma
D. Care for Age Related Macular Degeneration
E. Care for Diabetic Retinopathy
2. Activity
For each of the financial years between 2017/18 and 2022/23, the annual activity, including both inpatient and outpatient care, for cataract care.
3. Waiting times
For each of the financial years between 2017/18 and 2022/23, the average time that a patient would have to wait between referral and first appointment for the following conditions:
A. Cataracts
B. Glaucoma
C. Age Related Macular Degeneration
D. Diabetic Retinopathy
==Responding to this request==
//Format
We would strongly prefer data to be provided in an Excel compatible file-format, especially if there is a large quantity of data. Tables in PDF files cannot be reliably copied and risks errors and mis-transcriptions.
While there are risks around inadvertently sharing personal data through disclosures of spreadsheets, these can be adequately mitigated by copying data out of original spreadsheets and to ensure any underlying data in hidden columns, tabs or pivot tables is excised from the disclosure.
//Coding
Our previous analysis of ICB activity and spend data was significantly enhanced by obtaining data broken down by HRG code, with the majority of activity falling under the HRG code BZ--- for ophthalmology procedures, or HRG Code WF--- for outpatient attendances. This level of detail lets us explore to what extent the complexity of the case-mix is changing as well as absolute numbers.
We don’t want to over-complicate this request and generate further processing for the Trust so have requested yearly data for the limited number of categories of care as above: Care for Cataracts, Care for Glaucoma, Care for Age Related Macular Degeneration etc
But if in the course of compiling the answers officers are going through the process of summing the few dozen HRG codes falling under each category, we would appreciate that level of detail if it is not troublesome to provide.
//COVID & Block contracts
We understand that COVID caused significant disruption to the payment regimes NHS Trusts had access to and that block funding contracts have made analysis of income from different types of activity challenging to assess.
If the Trust is able to provide a consistent dataset across the six years that would be greatly appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
The Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI)
Dear team,
Further to your Freedom of Information Request below, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is commissioned to provide mental health services in Lincolnshire. We can confirm that we are not commissioned eye-care services, therefore it may be more appropriate to redirect your request to United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to request for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to: FOI Department, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Trust Headquarters, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN1 1FS. If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Kind regards,
FOI Department
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Trust Headquarters, St George’s, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, LN1 1FS
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