Use of the Trust's operating theatres

The request was partially successful.

Dear University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust,

With the Covid19 virus impact beginning to mitigate, will you please identify the following:

a) The total number of operating theatres available across the Trust and how many of these are currently being used for operating on patients?
b) What percentage of staff usually working within/for your operating theatres are currently unavailable due to self isolation and/or ill health?
c) Same question as a) above but with respect only to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham?
d) Same question as b) above but with respect only to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham?

Yours faithfully,

Mr Jones
25th May 2020

Dear University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust,

I note that the Trust's response to the information request has not been filed within the time period required by law and the Trust should note that the legislation requires them to respond promptly.

I look forward to the Trust's response in short order.

Yours faithfully,

Barry Jones

FOI, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Our Reference Number: 0788 2020/21

Dear Barry Jones,

Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing a response to your request – we are aware that we have now missed the legal deadline of 23rd June 2020, the delay is likely due to urgent operational responses dealing with Public Health priorities (Covid-19).

Your request has been sent to the relevant department for collation, we appreciate your patience at this time.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, we do remain committed to responding to your request and will respond as soon as we are able.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any queries, please quote the above reference number in future communications.

Kind Regards

FOI Officer

Information Governance Team
University Hospitals Birmingham
Email: [email address]

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Dear FOI,
The use of COVID19 as an excuse for failing to respond when the information will have been readily to hand is a convenient one I am sure but not convincing, especially given the fact it is now two months since the initial request.

I am therefore now requiring an internal review be undertaken and if no meaningful response is forthcoming will be taking the matter further to the Information Commissioner.

Yours sincerely,

Barry Jones

FOI, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Mr Jones,

Thanks for getting in touch. I am aware that your request is now very overdue and I apologise for this. I can understand your frustration but do ask for your patience at this time as so much of the organisation and prioritisation within the NHS has been shifted to deal with the Covid emergency.

Your response is largely complete but we are still waiting for one piece of information.
I have escalated this today so I hope to be able to provide you with a full response very soon.

I am unable to carry out an internal review at the present time as we have not provided you with a final response, but please be assured that, despite the delay, your request is in process and will not be forgotten.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further queries or concerns.
Yours sincerely
Information Governance Manager
Email: [email address]
Web: http://www.uhb.nhs.uk

Info & Quality - University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

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FOI, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Our reference: FOI 0788 2020/21

Dear Barry Jones,

Thank you for your request for information. The Trust's response is provided in the attached document. Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing our response, this has likely been due to urgent responses in relation to public health priorities (Covid-19)

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) completed a merger by acquisition of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) on 1st April 2018.

UHB is one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in England, serving a regional, national and international population. It includes Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Solihull Hospital and Community Services, Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham Chest Clinic. We also run a number of smaller satellite units, allowing people to be treated as close to home as possible. We see and treat more than 2.2 million people every year across our sites and our hospitals deliver more babies than anywhere else in Europe. We employ 20,000 staff and have an annual turnover of nearly £1.5 billion.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to request a review of our decision, you should email [email address] or write to the Information Governance Lead , Corporate Affairs, 3rd Floor, Nuffield House, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, B15 2GW

If you are not content with the outcome of your review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by our trust. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45 or www.ico.org.uk

Kind regards,

FOI Officer

Information Governance Team
University Hospitals Birmingham
Email: [email address]

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Dear University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Use of the Trust's operating theatres'.

In light of the failure to fully answer the FOI request, regarding number of theatres actually in use and not providing a realistic excuse as to why the information cannot be provided. Please also provide date in June at which the information that was provided was most relevant or series of dates if this is more realistic.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/u...

Yours faithfully,

Barry Jones

FOI, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Our Reference: FOI 0788 2020/21 Review

 

Dear Barry Jones,

 

Thank you for your e-mail received on 23 July 2020. I’m sorry you aren’t
satisfied with the response we provided.

Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing this response – the
delay is likely due to urgent operational responses dealing with Public
Health priorities (Covid-19).

 

Your review request will be handled by a review panel and further analysis
on why we did not provide the numbers of operating theatres in use will be
undertaken.

 

Can I please ask you clarify: should we focus these attempts on
determining how many of our operating theatres hosted at least one
procedure on 26 June 2020 (the date of the other data provided)?

 

Should our response to your request breach the statutory timeframe and you
remain unhappy with our response you have the right to complain to the
Information Commissioners Office and you can contact them at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45 or [1]www.ico.org.uk

 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any queries, please quote
the above reference number in future communications.

 

Kind Regards

FOI Officer

Information Governance Team

University Hospitals Birmingham

Email: [2][email address]

[3]cid:image002.jpg@01D3CB50.9BA65DB0

 

Ben Harpwood

Information Governance Manager - Information Governance

 

 

Internal: 42911   

Email: [email address]

Web: http://www.uhb.nhs.uk 

 

 

Info & Quality - University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

 

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