Dear Sir or Madam,

This is a FOIA request. The Trust is required to provide information on losses and special payments in its annual report. I am writing to request additional, more detailed information regarding these losses and payments. I am making this request because I believe there is a clear and compelling public interest in understanding more about the types of losses and special payments the Trust makes.

1. Losses and special payments

Please provide a copy of your losses and special payments register or database for the year 2016-17. I would expect this information to include, but not necessarily be limited to:

a) Category of loss or special payment (e.g. bad debt, fruitless payment, compensation payment made under legal obligation) as defined in relevant losses and special payments policy or procedure documents.
b) A summary of the loss
c) Amount paid out in £ Sterling (or other currency)
d) Debtor name (where that debtor is a company or disclosure of a person’s name is permitted by the data protection provisions of s.40)

2. Bad debts

a) Please state how much bad debt was written off in the year 2016-17.
b) If, and only if, you hold the information in an easily retrievable format, i.e. not in individual case files, please state how much of this bad debt was non-NHS and/or private patient debt write offs and/or overseas visitors related.

This request is only concerned with information which is easily exportable and does not require the Trust to review individual case files, which might trigger the cost threshold (s.12). I am interested in any and all relevant information which is easily exportable and that provides greater clarity on how losses were accrued and special payments were made, but which is not published in your annual report. The information I am requesting should not, therefore, be caught by s.21 or s.22.

If you consider that some information is exempt from disclosure please cite the section of the FOIA you are using to redact information. Please also ensure any redactions you make are sufficiently granular and do not withhold information on a 'blanket' basis. When applying exemptions which contain a public interest test, please also explain, in line with the guiding principles of the Information Tribunal, how the public interest would be, or would be likely to be, materially prejudiced by disclosure.

I would be grateful if you could be mindful of your statutory duty to provide advice and assist to requesters (s.16) when responding to this request. I would prefer to receive all information electronically and in machine-readable formats (such as .xls) where applicable. I would also be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of this request.

Thank you for the time you will invest in providing a response.

Gratefully,

Lucas Amin