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

• we request, procurement orders for (a): *   Atraumatic lumbar puncture needles (Spinal needles with introducers), annually over the periods 2008-2018 *   Traumatic lumbar puncture needles (spinal needles), over the same periods. Certain trusts have difficulty obtaining procurement orders for lumbar puncture needles, hence if you are having difficulty we recommend obtaining procurement orders for spinal needles. We will then process those orders ourselves and identify which are atraumatic and traumatic lumbar puncture needles.

Please see attached spreadsheet QE Question 1

Please note that the Trust does hold information on orders between 2008-2012, however we estimate that compliance with your request would exceed the appropriate costs limit under section 12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000. This is currently £450. The appropriate limit would be exceeded if it would require more than 18 hours work. We are therefore withholding this information under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act.

• Additionally, may we request hospital episode statistics (HES) for the number of (b): *   Epidural blood patch procedures, annually over the 2008-2018 *   Post- lumbar puncture headaches, over the same time period

Please see attached spreadsheet QE Question 2

Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull Hospital

• we request, procurement orders for (a): *   Atraumatic lumbar puncture needles (Spinal needles with introducers), annually over the periods 2008-2018 *   Traumatic lumbar puncture needles (spinal needles), over the same periods.Certain trusts have difficulty obtaining procurement orders for lumbar puncture needles, hence if you are having difficulty we recommend obtaining procurement orders for spinal needles. We will then process those orders ourselves and identify which are atraumatic and traumatic lumbar puncture needles.

Please see attached spreadsheet HGS Question 1. Please note that we do not hold information for 2008 and 2009.

• Additionally, may we request hospital episode statistics (HES) for the number of (b): *   Epidural blood patch procedures, annually over the 2008-2018 *   Post- lumbar puncture headaches, over the same time period

Please see attached spreadsheet HGS Question 2.