Print and print stock management, EPR, and document management services.

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust,

I am writing to submit a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), for access to information related to use of print and print stock management including printed stationery, covering both your operational print requirements and communications requirements; Electronic Patient Records (EPR) systems and use of document management services.

As a member of the public, I am seeking information related to the agency's records management practices, policies, and procedures.
I would be most grateful if you would provide me details in respect to the following:

A. Print and print stock management
1. (a) What is the actual spend on print stock management including printed stationery in the last year broken down by contractual managed stock and ad-hoc (non-stock)?
(b) What is the actual spend on print stock management including printed stationery over the last 5 years broken down by contractual managed stock and ad-hoc (non-stock)?
2. What is the trust spending on print stock management including printed stationery – both operational and communications spend that isn’t covered contractually?
3. Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised?
4. (a) Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are being extended or renewed?
(b) If yes, what decision was made?
(c) If no, what is the reason the contract is not being extended or renewed?
5. What are the criteria used in selection of print management suppliers?

B. Electronic Patient Records EPR
1. Please could you confirm the main EPR system (e.g Cerner Millennium, EPIC etc.) in place at your Trust?
2. (a) If you currently do not have an EPR system in place, do you have plans to implement one? (Yes/No)?
(b) If yes, when?
3. Will a paper scanning system (such as MediViewer) be used in conjunction with the EPR system for existing patient records and future documentation of patient records?
4. Is the department required to maintain paper records as well as digital records of patients?
5. (a) Are EPR systems used alongside paper records or only one of the two?
(b) If only one, please specify which is currently used.
6. (a) Is there an existing project in place to fully implement EPR to replace all paper records?
(b) If so, what is the expected timeline for this project?
(c) If not, is there a plan to introduce one?

C. Document Management Services
1. What is the actual spend on Electronic Documents and Records Management Systems (EDRMS) over the last 5 years?
2. What is the actual spend on digital mail rooms and/or hybrid mail rooms over the last 5 years?
3. What is the actual spend on document scanning over the last 5 years?
4. What is the actual spend on document storage over the last 5 years?
5. What is the actual spend on digital dictation over the last 5 years?
6. What is the actual spend on workflow process automation and cloud services over the last 5 years?
7. (a) Are there existing contracts for these services?
(b) If yes, who are the current suppliers broken down by EDRMS, digital mail rooms and/or hybrid mail rooms, document scanning, document storage, digital dictation workflow process automation and cloud services?
8. (a) Were these contracts awarded following a tender process conducted under a framework?
(b) If so, kindly provide details.
9. When were the contracts awarded, and for what period of time?
10. What are the records retention schedules including any schedules that outline the length of time records are to be retained and their final disposal, such as destruction or transfer to an archive?

I am requesting these records in electronic format, preferably in a machine-readable format such as Word, PDF or Excel. If the requested records are not available in electronic format, I request that they be provided in their original format.

If my request is denied in whole or in part, I request a written explanation of the denial and the specific legal basis for withholding the requested records.

Please acknowledge receipt of this request in writing and provide an estimated timeframe for the completion of the request, as required by FOIA.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to receiving the requested records.

Yours faithfully,

Ella Atherton

SWBH-GM-FOIREQUESTS (SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS TRUST), Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust

Dear Ella,

Re: FOI request ref: F23/0034

Thank you for your freedom of information request.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. You will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days after the date of receipt as defined by the Act, subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party. In some circumstances we may be unable to achieve this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised timescale at the earliest opportunity.

In some cases there may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision of the information you request. If this is the case you will be informed and the 20 working day timescale will be suspended until we receive payment from you. If you choose not to make payment then your request will remain unanswered.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information Office
: [Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust request email]
+ Trust Headquarters, Health and Wellbeing Centre, Sandwell General
+ Hospital, Lyndon, West Bromwich B71 4HJ

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