I wonder if there is potentially vulnerability in your IT systems.
The Trust systems are patched when needed to ensure compliance, and we review all CareCert alerts and bulletins and take appropriate action. The Trust carries out penetration tests on its applications and network.
Do you for example communicate with GPs electronically and is the interface secure?
The Trust transfers various letters via an Electronic Document Transfer (EDT) HUB. We also transfer pathology results into GP computer systems. All interfaces are in line with national approved directives/standards.
Are you able to audit PAS, PICS and the Portal for inappropriate access and patterns?
Yes.
The amount of money this NHS Trust spent on weight management services in 2017 (1st January 2017 to 31st December 2017)
£815,000. Please note this is where the costs are held as separate figures, e.g. psychology costs, community costs and surgical costs. There will be other costs in relation to the hospital lead service but we do not hold these as separate figures. In the majority of cases, obesity is a co-morbidity – weight management advice is an adjunct to the initial reason for referral, e.g. Diabetes, Liver disease, Renal disease etc.
Request for information on hospital discharge checklists
See attached FOI 0476
I noticed that your CACI Clinical data warehouse system expired in 2013-01-01.
- Has it been renewed since then? No
- Is it annually renewed? Not applicable
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) completed a merger by acquisition of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) on 1st April 2018. Due to historical differences in data collection/reporting across UHB and the former Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust this response has been provided by hospital site.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- How many prostate cancer patients (new and existing) were registered within your Trust/hospitals between 1st April 2017 – 31st March 2018? 275
- Of those how many were offered specialist psychological support services in the last 12 months (1st April 2017- 31st March 2018)? We do not hold this information. However, we can tell you that a holistic needs assessment telephone clinic was set up in December 2017 for all newly diagnosed patients with urological cancers. All new prostate cancer patients from that point onwards will have been offered appropriate discussions around psychological support.
- Of those how many were referred to specialist psychological support services in the last 12 months (1st April 2017- 31st March 2018)? Since setting up the holistic needs assessment telephone consultation clinic we have referred 11 kidneys and 4 prostate cancers for psychological support.
- Do you offer psychological support services for families and or carers? (Yes or No) No
- If yes, how is this service offered? (e.g. everyone is proactively offered a referral as standard of care, or do families/carers request access to psychological support reactively) Not applicable
- What proportion of families/carers were referred to psychological support services in the last 12 months (1st April 2017- 31st March 2018)? None
- Do men have access to other psychological support services beyond active treatment (i.e. those that are under active surveillance and living beyond cancer)? (Yes or No) Active surveillance men have risk stratified follow up clinic appointments. Those men living beyond cancer (i.e. discharged) are discharged to primary care for ongoing cancer management/monitoring.
- Who provides other psychological support service for your prostate cancer patients? choose from below:
- NHS commissioned mental health service (funded by CCG/NHS England or Trust) No
- National charitable organisation (e.g. Macmillan, Prostate Cancer UK)- We use PCUK patient information which includes the helpline telephone number
- Local support group (volunteer-led) Support group details are available in the Patrick information room
- Hospice Some patients are referred to a hospice for psychological support for both patients and carers.
Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull Hospital
- How many prostate cancer patients (new and existing) were registered within your Trust/hospitals between 1st April 2017 – 31st March 2018? 519.
- Of those how many were offered specialist psychological support services in the last 12 months (1st April 2017- 31st March 2018)? All patients are seen by Level 2 Psychology trained clinical nurse specialists (CNS’s) at diagnosis and often psychological issues are dealt with at that stage via Holistic Needs Assessments.
- Of those how many were referred to specialist psychological support services in the last 12 months (1st April 2017- 31st March 2018)? 8.
- Do you offer psychological support services for families and or carers? Yes
- If yes, how is this service offered? (e.g. everyone is proactively offered a referral as standard of care, or do families/carers request access to psychological support reactively) Service is offered where deemed appropriate at Urology CNS review clinic whilst carrying out Holistic Needs Assessments. Referral can also be made at patient / carer request.
- What proportion of families/carers were referred to psychological support services in the last 12 months (1st April 2017- 31st March 2018)? 1 family were referred to Macmillan Relate service in the last 1 year.
- Do men have access to other psychological support services beyond active treatment (i.e. those that are under active surveillance and living beyond cancer)? Yes
- Who provides other psychological support service for your prostate cancer patients? choose from below:
- NHS commissioned mental health service (funded by CCG/NHS England or Trust) We commission our service from Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust
- National charitable organisation (e.g. Macmillan, Prostate Cancer UK) All patients are given details of Macmillan and Prostate UK services at diagnosis. Patients / carers are referred to Macmillan Relate service as appropriate.
- Local support group (volunteer-led) All Urology CNS’s have access to a Living With and Beyond Cancer comprehensive list of agencies and local facilities (see attached). This list is shared with patients at diagnosis when deemed appropriate or on request.
- Hospice Our local hospices facilitate Living with and Beyond Cancer courses, patients are signposted to these.
- Other (please specify)
I would like to know whether the Trust has outsourced the printing of patient appointment letters or whether patient letters are still printed in house.
If the letter printing has been outsourced please confirm the name of the incumbent provider and the contract expiry date.
The Trust has outsourced the printing of outpatient appointment letters to Synertec Ltd.
The contract is through the NHS SBS framework and contract expires September 2019.
- Has the trust made any assessment of how many extra beds it will need to cope with demand this winter (and if so, how many)?
Extensive demand modelling has been undertaken and will continue throught winter. Our assessment is that between 40-80 additional beds will be required during peak winter months. This is of course dependent on a number of unknown variables, most notably the extent of urgent care demand, which continues at unprecedented levels.
- Will the trust be increasing its bed stock as appropriate to meet the increased level of demand?
Yes, there will be an additional 56 beds (50 medical, 6 NIV) available across the Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull sites throughout Quarter 4
- If so, has this been costed (please include financial estimates where possible/relevant)?
The total cost of these schemes is in the region of £1.2m
Do you have any guidance or policy for the public or service users to record calls when they speak to your staff.
No
What is your organisations protocol on service users recording calls when they speak to your staff? Please provide a copy of your policy, procedure and guideline notes on this issue.
None
Do you Inform Users they can record. If the answer is no what is the reason for this please if so do send me a copy.
No, however we don’t inform users that they can’t record
Are service users made aware of their right to record the encounter, if they choose to do so? Is this reflected in you policy document on the matter?
No
Does your organisation have an “Unacceptable Behaviour” policy? If so, please can you provide me with a copy?
Please see attached:
Prevention and management of violence and aggression policy HGS Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression PM
Security policy HGS Security Policy PM
Use of violent marker procedure HGS Use of Violent Marker Procedure HGS
Security Policy QEHB
If such a policy contains points of objectionable behaviour such as telephones calls being recorded by the caller due to them being not necessary or unwanted or needed, and furthermore the staff members may feel threatened or apprehensive, are you aware that denying users the right to record calls goes against the current UK laws.
Not applicable
Are your policies and procedures compliant with the public right to audio-visually record encounters with your staff, without their consent?
All Trust polices are compliant with legal requirements.
If not, will you provide appropriate training for your staff so they are fully informed of the Public right to record?
Not applicable
What is our organisations current charging policy for Freedom of Information requests (FOI) or Subject Access Requests (SAR)? If charges are applied are concessions available for those on low income or students?
The Trust does not charge for FOI or SAR requests.
What is your organisations complaints policy? Please can you forward me a copy. Please see attached.
Patient complaints and concerns policy HGS Patient Complaints and Concerns Policy HGS
Complaints policy QEHB Complaints Policy QEHB
Does your complaints procedure permit service users evidence such as covert call recordings to form part of the investigation.
The policies do not refer to covert recordings, each case would be considered individually in line with the law.
How much has been generated in income over the last three years from car parking charges at Solihull Hospital (in £’000s)?
2017/18 712
2016/17 722
2015/16 707
