Trust losses and special payments: FOIA

The request was partially successful.

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

Portsmouth FOIRequests, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust



Acknowledgement of Request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000

 

Thank you for your request for information, made under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act) which was received today by Portsmouth
Hospitals NHS Trust (the Trust).

 

Under the terms of the Act the Trust will endeavour to respond to your
request within 20 working days. The clock commences on the next working
day following receipt of your request. The Trust will investigate the
nature of your information request;  if clarification is required to
assist the Trust to locate & compile the information you requested,  then
the clock will be suspended until such time as the Trust receives your
clarification.

 

Please note that in accordance with section 12(4) of the Act where
multiple requests for information are received from one person or by
different persons who appear to be acting together, the estimated cost of
complying with any of the requests is to be taken to be the estimated
total cost of complying with all of them. Where applicable, we may deal
with multiple requests for information under a single reference.

 

There are also a number of exemptions which the Act permits with respect
to disclosure of information. The information will be assessed for these
exemptions prior to us releasing it to you. You will be advised if the
Trust is unable to provide the information requested due to exemption(s).

 

Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005

 

The supply of information under Freedom of Information is intended to be
for personal use only and does not automatically give the recipient the
right to commercially re-use it, for example, the right to publish it or
make it available to a wider audience [SI 2005 No: 1515 4(1)].  Therefore,
if this information is not for your personal use, you must apply in
writing to this Trust. A licence may be issued if the information is under
copyright and the issue of a licence may constitute a charge depending
upon the information released and proposed re-use.

 

Failure to comply with the Regulations may result in legal proceedings
being taken against you.

 

The Trust will only release staff personal information of those who are
grade Band 8 and above.

 

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact this office.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Freedom of Information Team

Room 2.03

De La Court House

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Southwick Hill Road

Portsmouth

Hampshire

PO6 3LY

 

Tel: 023 9228 6000

Ext. 3708

Email:  [1][email address] (Please do not use this
email for further FOI requests)

 

 

 

References

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1. mailto:[email address]

Portsmouth FOIRequests, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Amin,

 

Please find attached Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust's letter of completion
for your request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

Please Note - The Trust has a new Freedom of Information email address,
please send future requests to – [Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust request email]

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Freedom of Information Team

 

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

Room 2.03 Top Floor

De La Court House

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Southwick Hill Road

Cosham, Portsmouth

Hampshire PO3 6LY

 

02392 286000 Ext. 3708

[1][Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust request email] (For further requests only)

[2][email address] (For general enquiries)

[3]www.porthosp.nhs.uk

 

 [4]cid:image001.png@01D11173.1F986F90

"The information contained within this message is intended for the
addressee only and may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
If you are not the intended recipient, you may not peruse, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately by email, facsimile
or telephone and either return or destroy the original message. The sender
accepts no responsibility for any changes made to this message after it
has been sent by the original author. The views or opinions contained
herein do not necessarily represent the views of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS
Trust. This email or any of its attachments may contain data that falls
within the scope of the Data Protection Acts. You must ensure that any
handling or processing of such data by you is fully compliant with the
terms and provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984 and 1998".

P .......Save a tree..........do you  really need to print this email?

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust request email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/