Trust losses and special payments: FOIA

The request was 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

Freedom of Information (LTHTR), Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Lucas Amin,

Thank you for your request for information submitted under the Freedom of
Information Act.

We can confirm that Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
will reply on or before 3^rd  October 2017.

Regards.

Freedom of Information Team

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
c/o The Medical Director’s Office

Royal Preston Hospital

Sharoe Green Lane

Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9HT
Email : [1][email address]

[2]www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk
Twitter Icon@[3]LancsHospitals
Excellent care with Compassion

-----Original Message-----
From: Lucas87 [mailto:[FOI #429453 email]]
Sent: 05 September 2017 14:57
To: Freedom of Information (LTHTR)
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Trust losses and special
payments: FOIA

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

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Freedom of Information (LTHTR), Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

4 Attachments

Dear Lucas Amin,

Thank you for your request for information submitted under the Freedom of
Information Act. We can confirm that Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust does hold the information requested.

Request

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.

Trust response

Please see attached.

Identifying information has been exempted under the FOI Act.

To release the information requested would potentially identify the
individuals and therefore we are exempting under section 40(2) of the FOI
Act.  Section 40(2) (FOI Act) provides an exemption to disclosure, where
disclosure would contravene any of the data protection principles, namely
data protection principle 1.  This exemption is an absolute exemption that
is not subject to the public interest test.  Where the information relates
to an individual who can be identified from that data, or from that data
when added to other information, in the possession of, or likely to come
into the possession of the data controller, this meets the definition of
personal data as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998.

Kind regards.

Freedom of Information Team

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
c/o The Medical Director’s Office

Royal Preston Hospital

Sharoe Green Lane

Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9HT
Email : [1][email address]

[2]www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk
Twitter Icon@[3]LancsHospitals
Excellent care with compassion 

This message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the individual(s) addressed. If you have received this
e-mail in error then please note that disclosing, copying, distributing or
retaining this message or any part of it is strictly prohibited. Please
notify the sender immediately and delete it from your system. Any views or
opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The
Trust accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted
with this e-mail, so although it has been virus checked before
transmission, the recipient should also check for the presence of viruses.
The information contained in this email may be subject to public
disclosure under the NHS Code of Openness or the Freedom of Information
Act 2000. Unless the information is legally exempt from disclosure, the
confidentiality of this email and any subsequent reply cannot be
guaranteed. http://www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email%20address]
2. file:///tmp/www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk
3. https://twitter.com/LancsHospitals