1. Please tell me whether the trust carries out routine identity checks on patients attending outpatient appointments to ascertain whether they are ordinarily resident in the UK.
Yes routine identity checks are carried out on patients attending out-patient appointments.
2. If yes, please answer the following questions:
a. Which patients undergo such checks? ( – eg all those attending first appointment for a new care pathway)
Patients with no NHS number/Overseas addresses. An automated rolling 5 day report is generated on a daily basis providing this information for all patients booked for elective treatment either an in-patient or out patient.
b. Please state what forms of documentation they have to provide? (eg passports, proof of address)
Passport/ID card, Proof of address, Biometric Residence permit, ARC
c. What happens if they cannot provide proof of being ordinarily resident?
If the patient is unable to provide any documentation supporting entitlement to non-urgent treatment under the NHS, a costing for payment is requested from the Finance Dept and the patient is advised of the costs upfront prior to any treatment taking place. The treating clinician is advised the patient is chargeable and unless clinically necessary the treatment will be deferred until payment/documents have been received.
3. Please also state how many Overseas Visitor Managers (OVMs) or Overseas Visitor Officers (OVOs) are employed by the trust (Please state as Full Time Equivalent)
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) completed a merger by acquisition of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) on April 1 2018. Processes and structures are being aligned across the merged organisation; and the relevant organisational structures in relation to this request are:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham: 1 Full time equivalent plus support from Finance.
Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull Hospitals: No Overseas Manager but 1 full time Overseas Supervisor, 1 full time Overseas Officer & 2 part time Overseas Officers
4. Please state the highest bill which is still outstanding owed by an overseas visitor for a) 2017/18 to date and b)2016/17.
A) £15,874.44: £133K
B) £6,285.00: 76K
5. In relation to question 4, please broadly state the nature of the treatment (eg ophthalmology, kidney dialysis, obstetrics) and the nationality of the patient, if known.
A) Neurology
B) Cancer services.
The Trust does hold the nationality of the patients. If we were to provide the nationality of the patients there is a possibility that individuals may be identified.
We are therefore withholding this information under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act.
