Replacement of pagers (bleeps) in the NHS
Dear Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust,
I am undertaking a study on technology adoption within the NHS.
On 23 February 2019, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced that NHS trusts should have infrastructure in place to replace pagers (bleeps) by 30 September 2021, with complete phase out of pagers (bleeps) by 31 December 2021.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/healt...
Under the FOI Act, please provide the following information, with "pagers" used as a synonym for "bleeps":
1. As at 31 May 2021, how many pagers were in use in your Trust?
2. For the financial year ending 31 March 2021, what is the total annualised cost of pagers (broken down by equipment rental, licences, low value equipment replacement, maintenance of infrastructure, depreciation on capital assets and any other costs)?
3. What stage of procurement and implementation is your Trust currently at and what are the achieved and proposed times for the various steps (e.g. business case approved, tender issued, contract awarded, implementation started, test system is live/user acceptance testing, deployed system is live)?
4. If a contract has been awarded, which pager replacement system has your Trust selected?
5. What additional features does your proposed (or implemented) pager replacement system have, compared with previous capability? (e.g. integration with electronic patient record)
6. How many *users* and how many *devices* will the pager replacement system have?
7. What is the estimated total annualised cost of the replacement system (broken down by equipment rental, licences, low value equipment replacement, maintenance of infrastructure, depreciation on capital assets and any other costs)?
8. Will the trust retain some pagers for *emergency* communications or will emergency communications be handled by the pager replacement system? If some pagers are being retained, how many?
9. If the pager replacement system fails, what will be used as a backup system? (e.g. do you have plans to use staff personal devices?)
10. Is the Trust on course to phase out pagers for *non-emergency* communications by 31 December 2021? If not, by when?
11. Is there a benefits realisation plan or post-implementation monitoring plan in place?
Many thanks for your help.
Yours faithfully,
Constantinos Regas
Dear Constantinos,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - SECTION 8 REQUEST
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Kind regards
Paul Bransgrove
Information Governance Officer
E: [Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust request email]
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust | Bracken House | Bracton Lane | Leyton Cross
Road | Dartford | Kent | DA2 7AF
Dear Constantinos,
Please find attached our response to your request under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 referenced FOI 7175
Kind regards,
Paul Bransgrove
Information Governance Officer
Email: [1][Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust request email]
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust / Bracken House / Bracton Lane / Leyton Cross
Road/ Dartford, Kent / DA2 7AF
Dear Paul,
By way of clarification, is the new system the same as the old system?
They have the same price but the response to question 5 suggests that there are additional features, so I am a bit muddled by the response.
many thanks
Constantinos
Dear Constantinos,
Thank you for your email.
Can you please clarify what you mean by "old system"? Are you referring to
any previous system, or the system that was in use during the previous
financial year?
Kind regards
Paul Bransgrove
Information Governance Officer
E: [1][Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust request email]
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust | Bracken House | Bracton Lane | Leyton Cross
Road | Dartford | Kent | DA2 7AF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Constantinos Regas <[FOI #762214 email]>
Sent: 11 June 2021 11:58
To: FOI (OXLEAS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST) <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI 7175 - Freedom of Information request - Replacement of
pagers (bleeps) in the NHS
Dear Paul,
By way of clarification, is the new system the same as the old system?
They have the same price but the response to question 5 suggests that
there are additional features, so I am a bit muddled by the response.
many thanks
Constantinos
Dear Paul,
I have understood correctly, the Trust's response is that in the 2020-21 financial year there was a pager system with the same number of pagers and at the same price as in the 2021-22 financial year.
What I am seeking clarification on is whether:
a) in 2021-22 this is the same technical specification of pager system as in 2020-21, under the same contract, or
b) in 2021-22 this is the same technical specification of pager system as in 2020-21, under a renewed contract, or
c) this is an upgraded technical specification of pager system in 2021-22, at the same price as the 2020-21 contract, or
d) something I haven't considered (please explain!)
Many thanks
Constantinos
Dear Constantinos,
Thank you for clarifying your question.
I have passed your query on to the team responsible for the contract and
hope to provide a response as soon as possible.
Kind regards
Paul Bransgrove
Information Governance Officer
E: [1][Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust request email]
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust | Bracken House | Bracton Lane | Leyton Cross
Road | Dartford | Kent | DA2 7AF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Constantinos Regas <[FOI #762214 email]>
Sent: 11 June 2021 22:03
To: FOI (OXLEAS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST) <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI 7175 - Freedom of Information request - Replacement of
pagers (bleeps) in the NHS
Dear Paul,
I have understood correctly, the Trust's response is that in the 2020-21
financial year there was a pager system with the same number of pagers and
at the same price as in the 2021-22 financial year.
What I am seeking clarification on is whether:
a) in 2021-22 this is the same technical specification of pager system as
in 2020-21, under the same contract, or
b) in 2021-22 this is the same technical specification of pager system as
in 2020-21, under a renewed contract, or
c) this is an upgraded technical specification of pager system in 2021-22,
at the same price as the 2020-21 contract, or
d) something I haven't considered (please explain!)
Many thanks
Constantinos
Dear Constantinos,
We can confirm that in 2021-22 this is the same technical specification of
pager system as in 2020-21, under the same contract.
Kind regards
Paul Bransgrove
Information Governance Officer
E: [1][Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust request email]
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust | Bracken House | Bracton Lane | Leyton Cross
Road | Dartford | Kent | DA2 7AF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Constantinos Regas <[FOI #762214 email]>
Sent: 11 June 2021 22:03
To: FOI (OXLEAS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST) <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI 7175 - Freedom of Information request - Replacement of
pagers (bleeps) in the NHS
Dear Paul,
I have understood correctly, the Trust's response is that in the 2020-21
financial year there was a pager system with the same number of pagers and
at the same price as in the 2021-22 financial year.
What I am seeking clarification on is whether:
a) in 2021-22 this is the same technical specification of pager system as
in 2020-21, under the same contract, or
b) in 2021-22 this is the same technical specification of pager system as
in 2020-21, under a renewed contract, or
c) this is an upgraded technical specification of pager system in 2021-22,
at the same price as the 2020-21 contract, or
d) something I haven't considered (please explain!)
Many thanks
Constantinos
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