Services for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Dear NHS Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group,
I am writing as a volunteer researcher for the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome-UK (www.nofas-uk.org) to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act. I am working in cooperation with an ad hoc group of leaders from the organisation and other experts to frame and shape this research project and to analyse the information we receive.
Background
In February 2017, Lord Boateng asked the government “what assessment they have made of the measures adopted in Scotand which provide guidance and support for children and young adults affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.” Lord O’Shaughnessy replied that “Early intervention services can help reduce some of the effects of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and prevent some of the secondary disabilities that result. Responsibility for commissioning these services lies with clinical commissioning groups. [Hansard, Written Question HL5052, 10 February 2017. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publi...
This government policy was reiterated in July 2017 when Lord Campbell-Savours asked the government “what support they are providing for persons whose condition has been described as foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.” [Hansard, Written Question HL500 and Written Answer, 18 July 2017, https://www.parliament.uk/business/publi... In response, Lord O’Shaughnessy for the government wrote that “It is recognised that Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) can have a significant impact on the early development of children, their behaviours and their life chances. Early intervention services can help reduce some of the effects of FASD and prevent some of the secondary disabilities that result. Responsibility for commissioning these services lies with clinical commissioning groups.” This was again repeated on 8 May 2018 by Steve Brine, Parliamentary Under-secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care. [Hansard, Written Question 139045, 8 May 2018. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publi...
The following conditions fall under the Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) umbrella: Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD), Foetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) and partial Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS)) or neurodevelopmental disorders linked to prenatal alcohol exposure (NDPAE)
Request for Information
In light of the above information I would like to ask you to provide:
1) Copies of any policies that the Trust has on the prevention of FASD, and on the diagnosis and post-diagnostic care pathway for patients with an FASD. Also your policy on the training of Trust personnel to manage patients with FASD.
2) Any information you hold on services your Trust provided for FASD for
a. prevention education following the 2016 Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines that the safest course is not to drink while pregnant or attempting to become pregnant;
b. diagnosis for both children and adults;
c. post-diagnostic care in the financial years beginning 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
3) Information on the number of Doctors in your Trust who currently provide diagnostic and/or post-diagnostic services for FASD? Please provide their names and posts. Whether your Trust employs specifically trained professionals, including but not limited to nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, to provide specialised services for patients on the FASD spectrum? If so, in what specialties, and how many? Please provide their names and posts.
4) Information on training provided to personnel in your Trust on FASD, or provided by others and accessed by your personnel.
5) Information you hold on whether your Trust sends patients for FASD diagnosis to the National FASD Clinic in Surrey (https://www.fasdclinic.com/)? Did your refer any patients to the National FASD Clinic in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and in 2018, and if so, how many in each year?
6) What was your budget for services for FASD in each financial year since that starting in 2013 and including the current financial year?
7) Please provide copies of any agreed plans you have to expand the budget or services in coming years.
If you are considering rejecting this request on the grounds of the costs of responding exceeding the statutory limits then please respond to as many of the numbered items as possible within the limit, in the order they have been presented.
Yours faithfully,
Sandra Butcher
Dear Sandra
I write to you to acknowledge the receipt of your request for information
from Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group, We will provide a response to
your request within 20 working days as stated in the Freedom Of
Information Act.
Yours sincerely
Dawn Bentley
FOI
Administrator
NHS Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group, Putting Barnsley People
First
Hillder House, 49 – 51 Gawber Road, Barnsley, S75 2PY
Keep up to date with NHS Barnsley CCG on:
[1]cid:image001.png@01D2CD85.7DDAA030[2]cid:image002.png@01D2CD85.7DDAA030[3]cid:image003.jpg@01D2CD85.7DDAA030
P Please consider the environment - only print this email if absolutely
necessary
Dear Sandra
In response to your request for information I have received the following
details:-
Barnsley CCG do not specifically commission services for Foetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorders, however these services are provided as part of the
maternity services that we commission, on a block contract basis, from
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. As part of the Maternity services
offer Barnsley have a Specialist Midwife Substance Misuse team which is
funded by Barnsley CCG but directly commissioned by Barnsley Metropolitan
Borough Council as part of the overall contract for substance misuse
services. Providing access to substance misuse services is a Public Health
responsibility. Where possible however, a direct response to each question
has been provided below.
All information supplied by the CCG in answering a request for information
(RFI) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or Environmental
Information Regulations is the copyright of Barnsley Clinical
Commissioning Group and is subject to the terms of the Re-use of Public
Sector Information Regulations 2005, Statutory Instrument 2005 No.1515
which came into force on 1^st July 2005.
Under the terms of the Regulations, the CCG will not license the re-use of
any or all information supplied if it is being used in a form and for a
purpose other than which it was originally supplied.
This license for re-use will be in line with the requirements of the
Regulations and the licensing terms and fees as laid down by the Office of
Public Sector Information (OPSI). Most licenses will be free; however the
CCG reserves the right, in certain circumstances, to charge a fee for the
re-use of some information which it deems to be of commercial value.
I hope that this response is to your satisfaction and would be grateful
for any comments you may have in relation to the service provided.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision,
you should write to the Complaints Manager at the address below.
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Clair Piper
FOI
Adminstrator
NHS Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group, Putting Barnsley People
First
Hillder House, 49 – 51 Gawber Road, Barnsley, S75 2PY
Keep up to date with NHS Barnsley CCG on:
[1]cid:image001.png@01D2CD85.7DDAA030[2]cid:image002.png@01D2CD85.7DDAA030[3]cid:image003.jpg@01D2CD85.7DDAA030
P Please consider the environment - only print this email if absolutely
necessary
Dear FOI (NHS BARNSLEY CCG),
Apologies for the sending of this request in error, which duplicates a previous request to the CCG.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Butcher
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now