Private Healthcare expenditure for Mental Health Services

Department of Health and Social Care did not have the information requested.

Dear Department of Health and Social Care,

NHS has increasingly been spending more money on Private Healthcare Providers (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019...)

Matt Hancock has made significant statements on recovering costs (https://www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/...)

1. a)Please state DoHSC position on individuals requesting sight of the costs for their individual care with Private Healthcare Companies when this is commissioned via NHS (as identified in Health & Social Care Act Regulation 9).

b) Please state whether DoHSC understands commissioning of services for individuals with Private Healthcare Providers as ‘Personal Dara’ of the individual and therefore covered by Data Protection Act

2. Please confirm

a) the total amount for total costs NHS paid to Private Healthcare Companies for Mental Health Services for Financial Years 16/17, 17/18, 18/19, 19/20;

b) please identify the top 5 Private Healthcare Provider recipients of NHS funding for MH Services for each of the FY’s identified

3. Please identify:

a) Total amounts NHS has attempted to recover for failures in provision of Mental Health services commissioned from Private Healthcare Providers by above FY’s

b) Total amount actually recovered in relation to a)

(It is recognised that a) & b) may only be available as single set of data)

4. Please confirm DoHSC current position on recovering costs for MH Services from Private Healthcare Providers where the standard of services delivered is shown to fall below the standards expected (ie considering both clinical and contractual perspectives)

Yours faithfully,

Darren Watts

Department of Health and Social Care

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Department of Health and Social Care

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Watts,

Please find attached the Department of Health and Social Care's response
to your recent FOI request (our ref:FOI-1271229).

Yours sincerely, 

Hazel Percy
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care

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Dear Department of Health and Social Care,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Health and Social Care's handling of my FOI request 'Private Healthcare expenditure for Mental Health Services'.

As the Secretary of State is responsible to the taxpayer for Healthcare expenditure and various Ministers have recently been publicising funding awards, it would seem to be of public interest if the Department does not hold records of expenditure of the nature requested?

In addition, the Secretary of State is on record in the media of previously stating intent to recover costs from Private Healthcare Providers. The logical interpretation of this FOI response would be that the SoS appears to have made a misleading statement if no data is being gathered or held ?

Please Review your original response to provide data that does not give the impression that Ministers of State have been misleading the public.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

Yours faithfully,

Darren Watts

FreedomofInformation, Department of Health and Social Care

Dear Mr Watts,

Thank you for your email.

The Department has received your request for an internal review of FOI-1271229, and will aim to reply within 20 working days.

Kind regards

FOI Team

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FreedomofInformation, Department of Health and Social Care

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Watts,

Your requested internal review of FOI-1271229 is now complete. Please see the attached letter for the outcome.

Yours sincerely,

Charlene Carter
Freedom of Information Casework Manager
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0EU

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