Register of payments from pharmaceutical companies to staff

Dear Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Foundation Trust,

Hospital trusts are reportedly meant to keep a register of payments from pharmaceutical companies (and other relevant companies) to staff, in case of conflicts of interest [1]. I am requesting a copy of the register for this Trust - which I would hope includes details of all relevant payments to staff and any related potential conflicts of interest. If it would be possible to have this information in an appropriate structured data format - for example, a CSV file - this would be helpful. If this Trust does not have a complete register, I would request: the release of the information on this topic that the Trust does hold; and an explanation of why the Trust does not hold a complete register.

I am aware that some would view data on pharmaceutical funding as personal data for those staff receiving the funding. Even if some of the information on this register may be classed as personal data (although this is contestable - for example, in some sectors of academia information re funding sources is made public as a matter of course) it would be covered by paragraph 6 of Schedule 2 of the Data Protection Act. The release of these data is "necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by the data controller or by the third party or parties to whom the data are disclosed" [2]. Spurling et al's systematic review of how information from pharmaceutical companies impacts physicians' prescribing reported that, of the studies included which looked at total promotional investment, three "found that total promotional investment was positively associated with prescribing frequency...Two...found both positive results and no association...One study did not detect an association" [3]. There is thus a legitimate interest in releasing this register: the available research suggests that it is plausible that payments received influence how public money is spent and the type of care provided to members of the public.

For the reasons given above, there is a strong public interest in releasing this information. While "requests for the personal data of a third party are exempt under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act...if disclosure would contravene section 10 of the Data Protection Act, the right to prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress" [2], I would argue that, even if some of those named in these documents feel that their release would cause them damage or distress, this is outweighed by the significant public interest served by releasing these data.

Yours Faithfully,

Dr Jonathan Mendel

[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/a...
[2] http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/info...
[3] http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info...

FOI, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST

I acknowledge your request for information received below

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by
the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information being
held, not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party

 

Kind regards

FOI Manager

 

Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases
Upper Borough Walls 
Bath 
BA1 1RL
01225 465941

" [1]www.rnhrd.nhs.uk

 

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References

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1. http://www.rnhrd.nhs.uk/

FOI, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Foundation Trust

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[1]Royal National Hospital for
Rheumatic Diseases NHS
Foundation Trust [2]T 01225 465941 F 01225 421202 E
[Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Foundation Trust request email] W www.rnhrd.nhs.uk
Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic
Diseases NHS Foundation Trust, Upper
Borough Walls, Bath, BA1 1RL

[3]Description: Description: Macintosh
HD:Users:freelance:Desktop:rheumatic-lhead.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[4]Description: Description:
http://www.salisbury.nhs.uk/NewIncludes/...

Friday, 19^th April 2013

Reference No: 1214/9 Mendel
Dear Dr Mendel,
Regarding your request for information that we received on the 14^th April
2013. We keep a register of gifts which is sent out to staff quarterly, but
we have no payments from pharmaceutical companies.

 

We hope this information is satisfactory and meets your intended request
requirements

.
Yours sincerely,

FOI Manager
If you have any questions regarding this response, please contact us at
[5][email address]
Visit the Freedom of Information website at
[6]http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/free...

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not the intended recipient, any reading, printing, storage, disclosure,
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the sender immediately by using the reply function and then permanently
delete what you have received.

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