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
Dear Lucas,
Many thanks for your email below requesting information from Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days.
If you have any queries about this request, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Trust Headquarters
St George’s Site
Long Leys Road
Lincoln
LN1 1FS
Email: [Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust request email]
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
DISCLAIMER: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addessed. Therefore if the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this E-Mail is strictly prohibited. Any views or opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise explicitly stated. The information contained in this E-Mail may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Unless the information is legally exempt from disclosure, the confidentiality of this E-Mail and your reply cannot be guaranteed.
Dear Mr Amin,
Further to your Freedom of Information Request as per your original email
below. please find alongside your questions, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust response:
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)
Please see attached excel spreadsheet.
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.
We can confirm that the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has
considered your request and can confirm that the Information you have
requested is detailed within the Trust’s Annual Report and Accounts
available on the Trust website [1]www.lpft.nhs.uk – As this information is
already available under the FOI Act s.21 exempts a public authority from
reproducing information that is already available by other means. You can
access this information from the following link:
[2]http://www.lpft.nhs.uk/about-us/accessin...
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to request for an internal review. Internal review requests should
be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to
your original letter and should be addressed to: FOI Department,
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Units 8 & 9, The Point,
Lions Way, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8GG. If you are not content with
the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly
to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Kind regards
FOI Officer
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Trust Headquarters
St George’s Site
Long Leys Road
Lincoln
LN1 1FS
Email: [3][Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust request email]
[4]Time to Change logo
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
DISCLAIMER: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential
and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addessed. Therefore if the reader of this message is not the intended
recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or
copying of this E-Mail is strictly prohibited. Any views or opinions
expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the
views of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise
explicitly stated. The information contained in this E-Mail may be
subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Unless the information is legally exempt from disclosure, the
confidentiality of this E-Mail and your reply cannot be guaranteed.
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