Thank you for your email.

We acknowledge receipt of your request.

You will be aware of the significant pressures on our health and social
care services. During this time there is a need for our staff to
prioritise their professional caring duties and to support front line
health and social care services. This has understandably had an impact on
other duties within their role such as responding to legislative
requirements under FOI and the processing of Subject Access Requests.

We assure you that your request will be logged and processed, and we will
do our utmost to respond as quickly as possible.

Yours faithfully

Information Governance Team

Our ref: FOI 1628

19th April 2023

By email: [FOI #973111 email]

Dear Ms Hamill

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – INFORMATION REQUEST

I acknowledge your request which was received on 19th April 2023 requesting information held by the Trust. The reference number for your email is FOI/1628.

Your request is currently being addressed and if approved we will aim to provide you with the information requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please note that Freedom of Information requests require input from senior staff and health care professionals, and unfortunately, due to the significant pressures on the health and social care system at present, the Trust is facing challenges in meeting the deadline for responding to some requests.

Please be assured that your request for information is important to us and we will continue to liaise with relevant service areas and endeavour to respond to your request within the 20 day deadline if possible.

If the deadline for response has passed, and you have not received further correspondence from us, please do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to receive and update on your progress of your request and we will be happy to assist.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of the information you have requested. If any of the exemption categories apply then the information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the case, including your right of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to release the information to you. You will also be informed if this is the case.

There may be a fee payable for the information you have requested. In this event the fee must be paid before the information is processed and the 20 working day time limit for responses will be suspended until receipt of the payment. I will write to you again to advise whether or not a fee is payable.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact Dr Catherine Weaver at:

Head of Information Governance
Southern Health & Social Care Trust
Ferndale
Bannvale Site
10 Moyallen Road
Gilford
BT63 5JX
Tel: 028 3756 1458

Email: [email address]

Yours sincerely

Gail Fegan
Information Governance Team
Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

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Dear Ms Hamill,

Please see attached response in respect of your FOI request to the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

We apologise for the delay in providing this.

Kind regards

Gail Fegan
Information Governance Officer

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Dear Ms Hamill,

Thank you for your email.

The service area have advised as per below:

In response to Question 1 - there are no minutes held for this meeting as the attendee was a staff member of SHSCT and this meeting was organised and held by WHSCT and would hold these minutes as their responsibility.

In response to Question 2 - within respect to emergency general surgery patients, there are no agreed bypass protocols or pathways in place for WHSCT to SHSCT patients.

Kind regards

Gail Fegan
Information Governance Officer

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