Use of herbicide containing Glyphosate on hospital grounds

The request was successful.

Juliet Ferguson

Dear Information Officer,

This is a request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. I would like to request the following information:

What is your policy for weed control in the hospital's grounds?
Do you use herbicides containing glyphosate eg Roundup, Weedol etc
If yes, what do you use
What areas have been sprayed with herbicides containing glyphosate?
What is your policy on the use of glyphosate?
What precautions were taken ahead of its use?

For the calendar years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, please can you tell me:

The volume of these herbicides you have you used
The cost

I would like to receive the information electronically - preferably in an Excel format. If you feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible within a reasonable time frame, or the request is too broad or too vague, I would be grateful if you could contact me and provide assistance as to how I could refine the request.

Many thanks.

Juliet Ferguson

FREEDOMOFINFORMATION (SUSSEX COMMUNITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Juliet Ferguson,

 

We have received your email dated 03^rd June 2022 requesting information
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

Your request is being dealt with and you will be responded to within
twenty full working days of receipt.

 

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Freedom of Information Lead
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

 

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FREEDOMOFINFORMATION (SUSSEX COMMUNITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Juliet Ferguson,

 

Please find the below in response to your Freedom of Information request
dated 03^rd June 2022.

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) stopped using any weedkiller
containing Glyphosates in May 2019 on SCFT owned sites and sites that we
have service level agreements with. This was following health and safety
concerns raised in the United States. 

 

Prior to May 2019 we did not have a specific policy on weed control, but
we did use Roundup. This use was infrequent, predominately used out of
hours, and always in compliance with manufacturer’s instructions with full
PPE.

 

The information requested regarding the locations sprayed with herbicides
containing glyphosate is not held by SCFT in a centrally recordable
format. To provide this information we would need to manually review each
completed work order from 2018 to May 2019 and then collate the
information. We estimate that this would far exceed the limits of time and
cost set out in Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

Prior to May 2019 SCFT purchased an average of 10 litres of Roundup per
year at a cost of £80-100.

 

Post May 2019 SCFT purchased specialist equipment to reduce the need to
use chemicals. We use SBK Brushwood Killer (a glyphosate free product) in
less quantity.

 

 

For information only: The cost to the NHS equated to responding to this
request is £25.00

 

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Lead
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Brighton General Hospital | Elm Grove | Brighton | BN2 3EW

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your enquiry, you have the
right to appeal. Please contact the Head Information Governance, Sussex
Community NHS Trust, Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove, Brighton BN2
3EW.

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you can write to:  The
Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF - Telephone: 01625 545700.

 

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