Inpatient Mental Health Bed Closures
Dear South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust,
In the last 10 years, please could you state
1] How many wards have been closed by your Trust in total?
2] Please list names of the wards closed, describe if they were adult/ old age/ forensic etc; their location and specify the number of bed lost with each of these wards?
3] How many new wards were opened by your Trust in total?
4] Please list names of the wards opened, describe if they were adult/ old age/ forensic etc, their location and specify the number of bed lost with each of these wards?
Yours faithfully,
Dr Amit Mukherjee
Dear Dr Mukherjee
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA). This will now be considered, and a response made to you promptly
and within 20 working days of receipt.
Kind regards
Karen Hayward
Corporate Administrator
Teams: [1][email address]
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
Acacia East Wing
First Floor Digital Zone
Tolworth Hospital
Red Lion Road
Surbiton, Surrey
KT6 7QU
From: Amit Mukherjee <[FOI #950802 email]>
Sent: 17 February 2023 20:08
To: FOI-Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Inpatient Mental Health Bed
Closures
Dear South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust,
In the last 10 years, please could you state
1] How many wards have been closed by your Trust in total?
2] Please list names of the wards closed, describe if they were adult/ old
age/ forensic etc; their location and specify the number of bed lost with
each of these wards?
3] How many new wards were opened by your Trust in total?
4] Please list names of the wards opened, describe if they were adult/ old
age/ forensic etc, their location and specify the number of bed lost with
each of these wards?
Yours faithfully,
Dr Amit Mukherjee
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Dear Dr Mukherjee
Please find attached the response to your FOIA request.
Kind regards
Karen Hayward
Corporate Administrator
Teams: [1][email address]
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
Acacia East Wing
First Floor Digital Zone
Tolworth Hospital
Red Lion Road
Surbiton, Surrey
KT6 7QU
My working hours are 8:30-16:30 Mon-Friday
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
This e-mail is confidential and privileged. If you are not the intended
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its contents: to do so is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Please
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References
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Dear South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Inpatient Mental Health Bed Closures'.
I am very shocked at your response.
If it takes them more than 18 hours to comply with this relatively simple request then you must have pretty poor recording systems for this information.
On the other hand ward structures/bed allocation etc. is notoriously badly recorded across the NHS so it may take a lot of digging etc. on your part although I suspect you are making it sound harder than it actually is.
Also my request has not asked you to link the closed wards to the open wards. I am requesting just a factual statement on number of wards opened and closed and may be allow the public to scrutinise how to link the open to closed wards in the interest of transparency?
I request an internal review at the earliest
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i...
Yours faithfully,
Dr Amit Mukherjee
Dear Dr Mukherjee
Thank you for your request for an internal review under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (FOIA). This has now been forwarded to a colleague
who will do a review and a response will be made to you as soon as
possible
Kind regards
From: Amit Mukherjee <[FOI #950802 email]>
Sent: 23 March 2023 16:28
To: FOI-Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Inpatient
Mental Health Bed Closures
Dear Southwest London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Southwest London and St
George's Mental Health NHS Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Inpatient
Mental Health Bed Closures'.
I am very shocked at your response.
If it takes them more than 18 hours to comply with this relatively simple
request then you must have pretty poor recording systems for this
information.
On the other hand ward structures/bed allocation etc. is notoriously badly
recorded across the NHS so it may take a lot of digging etc. on your part
although I suspect you are making it sound harder than it actually is.
Also my request has not asked you to link the closed wards to the open
wards. I am requesting just a factual statement on number of wards opened
and closed and may be allow the public to scrutinise how to link the open
to closed wards in the interest of transparency?
I request an internal review at the earliest
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[1]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i...
Yours faithfully,
Dr Amit Mukherjee
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[2][FOI #950802 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[3]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[4]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
[5]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
Dear Dr Mukherjee
Thank you for your request for an internal review of our response to your
FOI request. I undertake such reviews for our Trust as I am not involved
in the processing and decision making relating to such requests and am
able to do so from an independent perspective, as required by ICO
guidance.
I will undertake the review based on the content of our response and the
reasons you have provided below. I will endeavour to do so within 20
working days if at all possible.
Regards
John Hughes
IG Manager / Data Protection Officer
Information Services
South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust
Tolworth Hospital
Red Lion Road
Surbiton, Surrey
KR6 7QU
Email: [1][email address]
Phone: 020 3513 6184
From: Amit Mukherjee <[2][FOI #950802 email]>
Sent: 23 March 2023 16:28
To: FOI-Requests <[3][email address]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Inpatient
Mental Health Bed Closures
Dear South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of South West London and St
George's Mental Health NHS Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Inpatient
Mental Health Bed Closures'.
I am very shocked at your response.
If it takes them more than 18 hours to comply with this relatively simple
request then you must have pretty poor recording systems for this
information.
On the other hand ward structures/bed allocation etc. is notoriously badly
recorded across the NHS so it may take a lot of digging etc. on your part
although I suspect you are making it sound harder than it actually is.
Also my request has not asked you to link the closed wards to the open
wards. I am requesting just a factual statement on number of wards opened
and closed and may be allow the public to scrutinise how to link the open
to closed wards in the interest of transparency?
I request an internal review at the earliest
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[4]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i...
Yours faithfully,
Dr Amit Mukherjee
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #950802 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[6]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
[8]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
Dear Dr Mukherjee
I am writing in response to your request for an internal review of our
response to your FOI request – our ref: 1775-FOI – copy attached for
reference. The request was received on 17.02.23 and we responded on
02.03.23. The subject matter was “Inpatient Mental Health Bed Closures.
In our response we refused access to all information claiming the section
12(1) exemption – i.e. that in order to access and compile the information
would exceed the “appropriate limit” as set within FOIA guidance. You
have challenged this and clarified you are requesting “just a factual
statement on numbers of wards opened and closed and may be allow the
public to scrutinise how to link the open to closed wards in the interest
of transparency.”
Having reviewed the request folder and discussed its processing with those
involved in the decision making regarding our response, I believe that the
scope of the request was assessed to be greater than it was. Over the
last ten years the Trust has undergone a great deal of change including
the temporary closure of wards due to refurbishment and/or transfer of
location, over multiple sites. For example, I don’t know if you’re aware
but our main site at Springfield Hospital in Tooting has been totally
transformed during this period with most of the buildings that formulated
the original hospital opened in 1840 being closed and a brand new
state-of-the-art mental health hospital being opened (not yet in its
entirety) on the same site.
However, having re-visited your original request, and with the help of the
rephrasing in your request for a review, I see that the scope is much
smaller and with this in mind I have been able to glean the information
within the parameters of the “appropriate limit”.
During the last ten years, the Trust can report permanent closure of three
wards – Acacia (older people), Fucias (older people), Shamrocks (adult
acute / PICU). All three were located on our Tolworth Hospital site.
During the same period we can report the opening of one brand new ward –
Ellis (Adult acute), originally on our Springfield Hospital site and
subsequently moved to Tolworth. This ward has 18 beds.
We are unable to provide actual bed numbers associated with the closures –
however, we can confirm that in 2013 the total bed numbers available
within our Trust was 390, and the current bed number is 335.
I hope you find this review satisfactory and that you now have the
information you initially sought.
Kind regards
John Hughes
IG Manager / Data Protection Officer
Information Services
South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust
Tolworth Hospital
Red Lion Road
Surbiton, Surrey
KR6 7QU
Email: [1][email address]
Phone: 020 3513 6184
From: Hughes, John
Sent: 24 March 2023 11:10
To: [FOI #950802 email]
Subject: FW: Internal review request - Inpatient Mental Health Bed
Closures Our Ref: 1775-FOI
Dear Dr Mukherjee
Thank you for your request for an internal review of our response to your
FOI request. I undertake such reviews for our Trust as I am not involved
in the processing and decision making relating to such requests and am
able to do so from an independent perspective, as required by ICO
guidance.
I will undertake the review based on the content of our response and the
reasons you have provided below. I will endeavour to do so within 20
working days if at all possible.
Regards
John Hughes
IG Manager / Data Protection Officer
Information Services
South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust
Tolworth Hospital
Red Lion Road
Surbiton, Surrey
KR6 7QU
Email: [2][email address]
Phone: 020 3513 6184
From: Amit Mukherjee <[3][FOI #950802 email]>
Sent: 23 March 2023 16:28
To: FOI-Requests <[4][email address]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Inpatient
Mental Health Bed Closures
Dear South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of South West London and St
George's Mental Health NHS Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Inpatient
Mental Health Bed Closures'.
I am very shocked at your response.
If it takes them more than 18 hours to comply with this relatively simple
request then you must have pretty poor recording systems for this
information.
On the other hand ward structures/bed allocation etc. is notoriously badly
recorded across the NHS so it may take a lot of digging etc. on your part
although I suspect you are making it sound harder than it actually is.
Also my request has not asked you to link the closed wards to the open
wards. I am requesting just a factual statement on number of wards opened
and closed and may be allow the public to scrutinise how to link the open
to closed wards in the interest of transparency?
I request an internal review at the earliest
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[5]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i...
Yours faithfully,
Dr Amit Mukherjee
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FOI #950802 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[8]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
[9]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
Dear Mr Mukherjee
Please see attached the response to your FOIA request.
Kind regards
Karen Hayward
Corporate Administrator
Teams: [1][email address]
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
Acacia East Wing
First Floor Digital Zone
Tolworth Hospital
Red Lion Road
Surbiton, Surrey
KT6 7QU
My working hours are 8:30-16:30 Mon-Friday
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
This e-mail is confidential and privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient, please accept our apologies; please do not disclose, copy or
distribute information in this e-mail or take any action in reliance on
its contents: to do so is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Please
read our full email disclaimer. Thank you for your co-operation.
For a full version of the disclaimer please visit
https://www.swlstg.nhs.uk/privacy-notice
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
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