Wednesday 03 July 2024
Internal Reference Number: FOI_7217
Date Request Received: 05/06/2023 00:00:00
Date Request Replied To: 04/07/2023 00:00:00
This response was sent via: By Email
Request Summary: Upfront overseas patient charging
Request Category: Researcher
| Question Number 1: This request has eight questions. In this request, "NHS healthcare treatment" specifically excludes private patients seeking to use paid-for private services offered by the Trust. It includes non-urgent follow-ups to urgent healthcare treatment. If information cannot be provided since January 2021 within the section 12 cost limit, please provide information since January 2022. Does the Trust impose upfront charges for non-urgent NHS healthcare treatment to overseas visitors, migrants and former UK residents who are ineligible for free healthcare under government guidelines? If not, please explain why, in the context of those guidelines. If the answer to question 1 is 'no', the Trust need not provide responses to questions 2-8. | |
| Answer To Question 1: ‘We do not record this information in a reportable format and it would mean that we’d have to manually search every single individual patient file that we hold. Which would take us over the allotted time limit of 18 hours’ - please see attached exemption notice. | |
| Question Number 2: The number of overseas visitors, migrants and former UK residents who were charged upfront for NHS healthcare treatment by the Trust since January 2021 - please note this includes patients who did not subsequently proceed with the treatment If the answer to question 2 is 'zero', the Trust need not provide responses to questions 3-8. | |
| Answer To Question 2: ‘We do not record this information in a reportable format and it would mean that we’d have to manually search every single individual patient file that we hold. Which would take us over the allotted time limit of 18 hours’ - please see attached exemption notice. | |
| Question Number 3: The total costs charged for the treatments referred to in question 2 (including where the patient did not proceed with the treatment) | |
| Answer To Question 3: ‘We do not record this information in a reportable format and it would mean that we’d have to manually search every single individual patient file that we hold. Which would take us over the allotted time limit of 18 hours’ - please see attached exemption notice. | |
| Question Number 4: The number of overseas visitors, migrants and former UK residents who did not proceed with NHS healthcare treatment by the Trust after being quoted an upfront charge (timeframe is since January 2021) Notes to question 4: • Sending an invoice to a patient for an upfront charge counts as quoting an upfront charge • Patients who did not proceed with treatment include those who declined treatment and those who simply did not attend scheduled treatment, as well as any patients who were refused treatment by the Trust | |
| Answer To Question 4: ‘We do not record this information in a reportable format and it would mean that we’d have to manually search every single individual patient file that we hold. Which would take us over the allotted time limit of 18 hours’ - please see attached exemption notice. | |
| Question Number 5: Of the number of patients provided in response to question 4, please state how many did not attend scheduled treatment/appointment (rather than cancelling in advance) Note to question 5: • If the Trust does not record information in a manner that would enable question 5 to be answered within the section 12 cost limit, please state that the information is 'not held' for this question and process the remainder of this request If the Trust has not provided information for question 5, or has responded with 'zero', please proceed to question 7. | |
| Answer To Question 5: ‘We do not record this information in a reportable format and it would mean that we’d have to manually search every single individual patient file that we hold. Which would take us over the allotted time limit of 18 hours’ - please see attached exemption notice. | |
| Question Number 6: What was the financial loss to the Trust caused by the missed scheduled treatment/appointments referred to in response to question 5? Note to question 6: • If the Trust does not record information in a manner that would enable question 6 to be answered within the section 12 cost limit, please state that the information is 'not held' for this question and process the remainder of this request | |
| Answer To Question 6: ‘We do not record this information in a reportable format and it would mean that we’d have to manually search every single individual patient file that we hold. Which would take us over the allotted time limit of 18 hours’ - please see attached exemption notice. | |
| Question Number 7: Any data the Trust holds on the reasons for the refusal/inability of the patients referred in response to question 4 to pay the imposed upfront charges (such as preference to return home for treatment, or inability to meet the cost of treatment) | |
| Answer To Question 7: ‘We do not record this information in a reportable format and it would mean that we’d have to manually search every single individual patient file that we hold. Which would take us over the allotted time limit of 18 hours’ - please see attached exemption notice. | |
| Question Number 8: Any data the Trust holds on the conditions the patients referred to in response to question 4 wished to be treated for (this may be provided as categories of healthcare, such as ENT and nephrology), or alternatively the treatments that were subject to the imposed charges (these may be grouped into overarching categories for data protection reasons) | |
| Answer To Question 8: ‘We do not record this information in a reportable format and it would mean that we’d have to manually search every single individual patient file that we hold. Which would take us over the allotted time limit of 18 hours’ - please see attached exemption notice. | |
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