Freedom of information

Publication Scheme  

Welcome to the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) Publication Scheme. The Scheme is a guide to the information routinely published by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. The Scheme is in seven parts.  Click on the section that you would like to access.

What is a Publication Scheme?

This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely published by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. It is a description of the information about our trust which we make publicly available. We review the scheme at regular intervals and monitor how it is operating.

The publications within each class are all free electronically unless otherwise indicated.  There may be a charge for hard copies of publications.

If you have any comments or questions about the Publication Scheme or require a copy of the Publication Scheme, or any of the information included in it, in hardcopy please contact:

Nicola Frost
Freedom of Information Manager
Corporate Management & Membership Services
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Level L
Basildon Hospital
Nethermayne
Basildon
Essex SS16 5NL

email: foi@southend.nhs.uk

If you have a complaint about the operation of the Publication Scheme or how the Trust has dealt with your request for information from this scheme, please write to:

Andrew Stride
Company Secretary
Corporate Management & Membership Services
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Level L
Basildon Hospital
Nethermayne
Basildon
Essex SS16 5NL

email: andrew.stride@btuh.nhs.uk

Who we are and what we do

How we fit into the NHS Structure
Location: FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost:  Free

Organisational structure 
Location: FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost:  Free 

Location and contact details for all public-facing departments 
Location:  https://www.mse.nhs.uk/our-services
Cost:  Free

Senior staff and management board members 
Location:  https://www.mse.nhs.uk/meet-the-team
Cost:  Free 

What we spend and how we spend it 

Annual Report and accounts
Location: The Annual Reports are published on the website https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free

Budgets and variance reports 
Location: Available in the Annual Reports published on the website https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free

Financial audit reports 
Location: Available in the Annual Reports published on the website https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free

Standing financial instructions 
Location: Available from FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost:  Free

Capital programme 
Location: Available in the Annual Plan - FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost:  Free

Staff and Board members’ allowances and expenses 
Location:  Board members’ salaries and allowances are included in the Annual Report
https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free

Staff pay and grading structures 
Location:  Directors’ salaries are included in the annual reports https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free
Location: Staff are paid according to national pay scales
https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/working-health/working-nhs/nhs-pay-and-benefits/agenda-change-pay-rates
Cost:  Free

Funding 
Location: Available in the Annual Plan published on the website https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free

Procurement and tendering procedures 
Location: Available from FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost:  Free

Details of contracts currently being tendered 
Location: For the most up to date information on tenders requiring OJEU adverts Tenders European Daily (TED)
Cost:  Free

List and value of contracts awarded and their value 
Location: For high value tenders Tenders European Daily (TED)
Cost:  Free

What are our priorities and how are we doing 

Annual Report 
Location: The Annual Reports are published on the website https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free

Annual business plan 
Location: Available on the website - FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost: Free

Targets, Aims and Objectives 
Location: Available on the website - FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost:  Free

Performance against targets (KPI)/performance framework 
Location: These are available via reports to the Board on the website https://www.mse.nhs.uk/board-meetings
Cost:  Free

Clinical governance 
Location: A risk analysis report forms part of the Annual Report and is available on the website
https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free

Care Quality Commission
Location: https://www.cqc.org.uk/
Cost:  Free

Audit reports
Location:  Available in the Annual Reports
https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Cost:  Free

How we make decisions 

Board papers
Location: Available on the website
https://www.mse.nhs.uk/board-meetings
Cost:  Free

Patient and public involvement
Location: Available on the website
FOI@southend.nhs.uk 
Cost:  Free

Our policies and procedures 

Location: Currently all our policies, procedures and guidelines are available from FOI@southend.nhs.uk.
Cost:  Free

Lists and registers 

• Any information we are currently legally required to hold in publicly available registers 
• List of main contractors / suppliers 
• Assets registers and Information Asset Register 
• Register of Gifts and Hospitality provided to Board members and senior personnel 
• Disclosure Log 

Location: Information from these lists is available from FOI@southend.nhs.uk. 
Cost:  Free

Any register of interests kept in the authority 
Location: Register of Board Members’ Interests.  Available in the Board minutes on the website
https://www.mse.nhs.uk/board-meetings
Cost:  Free

The services we offer

Clinical services provided and/or commissioned 
Location: Available on the website
https://www.mse.nhs.uk/our-services
Cost:  Free

Patient information leaflets and other booklets and newsletters 
Location: Available on the website
FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost:  Free

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) 
Location: Available on the website
https://www.mse.nhs.uk/pals
Cost:  Free

Communications Unit/Media
Location:  Available on the website
https://www.mse.nhs.uk/media-centre
Cost: Free

Chaplaincy
Location:  Available on the website
FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost: Free

Advice and guidance 
Location: Guidance for inpatients and outpatients is available on the website
FOI@southend.nhs.uk
Cost: Free

Requests for information should be made in writing. We accept requests via email or letter. 

Nicola Frost
Freedom of Information Manager
Corporate Management & Membership Services
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Level L
Basildon Hospital
Nethermayne
Basildon
Essex SS16 5NL

email: foi@southend.nhs.uk

Your request must include:

• Your name and address for correspondence (email address is acceptable)
   
• A clear description of the information that you are requesting (giving enough detail to allow us to correctly identify and find it)
   
• The way you would like the information sent to you (e.g. by post or email)

We will send you confirmation of the request, including a reference number, which you should quote in any communication with us relating to your request. We will also tell you when you should expect a reply, which, under the terms of the Act, has to be within 20 working days. 

Charging

If the charges for the request exceed the set upper limit of £450 we will outline as far as possible what information could be provided to bring the cost below the limit. Otherwise, we are not obliged to provide you with the information. 

Exemptions 

Under the terms of the Act some or all of the information you request may be exempt from disclosure. If this is the case, we will inform you as to what information we will and will not disclose, including what exemption/s have been applied. Occasionally, our response may take longer than the 20 working days prescribed in the Act because of applying exemptions. 

If this is the case we will inform you, giving you a date by which we aim to have replied. If any further delays occur, we will advise you of them as necessary. 

Response 

Once we have processed your request, we will send you the information requested, provided it is held by MSEFT and is not exempted from disclosure. We will supply the information in the format you requested, as far as possible. If we know that the information is held by another public authority we will supply you with relevant contact details of the other public authority.

Internal review

If you do not think that your request for information has been handled satisfactorily, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Such requests should be directed to The Company Secretary in the first instance at the address below: 

Andrew Stride
Company Secretary
Corporate Management & Membership Services
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Level L
Basildon Hospital
Nethermayne
Basildon
Essex SS16 5NL

email: andrew.stride@btuh.nhs.uk
 

Your complaint will be investigated and you will be informed of the decision. We will aim to give you a response to your complaint within 20 working days. If we are unable to respond within this time, we will inform you. 

Please make your complaint within three months of receiving your response.

If you are still not satisfied, you can complain to the Information Commissioner:
 

Information Commissioner's Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire, SK9 5AF 

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
 

Website – to make a complaint: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/.
Website – General information: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/official-information

Copyright 

The information sent to you is subject to Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust's copyright, unless otherwise indicated. Unless expressly indicated on the material to the contrary, it may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium, provided it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading manner. 

Where any of the copyright items are being re-published or copied to others, you must identify the source of the material and acknowledge the copyright status. Permission to reproduce material does not extend to any material provided to you that is the copyright of third parties. You must obtain authorisation to reproduce such material from the copyright holders concerned.