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 includes Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Solihull Hospital and Community Services, Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham Chest Clinic.
Due to historical differences in data collection/reporting across UHB and the former Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust some responses have been provided by hospital site.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
I would like to know the following please:
1. How much does it cost your NHS trust to surgically remove a foreign object from a patient?
We are unable to provide this information as costs will be dependent on the setting, which grade of staff is involved in treatment and the length of time we spend with each patient to deliver appropriate treatment.
2. How many patients have had foreign objects surgically removed from their bodies across your NHS trust from July 2017 to July 2018?
153 patients with foreign objects were admitted to the hospital from an A&E attendance which would make it likely they required surgical removal.
NB: A foreign object could be anything that is not native to the human body, including a piece of glass, splinter etc and could be deliberate or intentional.
3. How many of those patients had sex toys surgically removed from their bodies between July 2017 and July 2018?
The Trust does hold the information you have requested, 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.
In order to obtain this information, a member of staff would need to review 153 patient files from QEHB and 46 from HGS making a total of 199 files. Considering that a member of staff would have to look in both paper and electronic records, we estimate that this would take approximately 1 hour per file to locate, retrieve and review all 199 patient files. This would equate to 99.5 hours which is over the appropriate limit as specified above. Should you wish to pay the fees notice the cost will be £2487.50. Alternatively, if you wish to narrow the scope of your request, please do so with the time limit of 18 hours in mind.
4. How many patients have attended A&E requiring medical assistance to remove a sex toy / sex instrument from their bodies between July 2017 and July 2018?
As above
Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull Hospital
I would like to know the following please:
1. How much does it cost your NHS trust to surgically remove a foreign object from a patient?
We are unable to provide this information as costs will be dependent on the setting, which grade of staff is involved in treatment and the length of time we spend with each patient to deliver appropriate treatment.
2. How many patients have had foreign objects surgically removed from their bodies across your NHS trust from July 2017 to July 2018?
From July 2017 to July 2018, there were 46 procedures to remove a foreign object.
3. How many of those patients had sex toys surgically removed from their bodies between July 2017 and July 2018?
The Trust does hold the information you have requested, 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.
In order to obtain this information, a member of staff would need to review 153 patient files from QEHB and 46 from HGS making a total of 199 files. Considering that a member of staff would have to look in both paper and electronic records, we estimate that this would take approximately 1 hour per file to locate, retrieve and review all 199 patient files. This would equate to 99.5 hours which is over the appropriate limit as specified above. Should you wish to pay the fees notice the cost will be £2487.50. Alternatively, if you wish to narrow the scope of your request, please do so with the time limit of 18 hours in mind.
4. How many patients have attended A&E requiring medical assistance to remove a sex toy / sex instrument from their bodies between July 2017 and July 2018?
As above.
