Freedom of Information at MSE
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) came into force on 1 January 2005 giving members of the public certain rights to ask public authorities for information relating to the public authority. Under the terms of the Act Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has two main obligations:
- To maintain a Publication Scheme, outlining the information that is routinely published by the Trust
- To respond to requests for information from members of the public.
FOI how to make a request
Requests for information should be made in writing either by emailing mse.foi.suhft@nhs.net or writing to:
Freedom of InformationCorporate Management & Membership Services
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Level L
Basildon Hospital
Nethermayne
Basildon
Essex SS16 5NL
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 has been recieved and you should expect a reply, which, under the terms of the Act, has to be within 20 working days.
For more information on how to make a request, visit the gov.uk freedom of information act (FOIA) page
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 MSENHSFT 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 don't think that your request has been handled satisfactorily, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Please email Tthe Director of Corporate Affairs, Lauren MacIntyre at mse.board.committeepapers@nhs.net or send a letter to:
Lauren MacIntyre, Director of Corporate Affairs
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Level L
Basildon Hospital
Nethermayne
Basildon
Essex SS16 5NL
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.
Not satisfied?
If you're still not satisfied, you can complain to the Information Commissioner using their website https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or calling 0303 123 1113.
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.
Personal information
Access to personal information that we may hold on you is not available under the FOIA - visit our Access to Health Records service page to ask for your personal medical information.
More information about the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Other useful websites for published information:
- Estates and Facilities data - https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection
- NHS England and NHS Improvement website - https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas
FOI publication Scheme
The Publication Scheme is a complete seven-part guide to the information we routinely publish about our trust. We review the scheme regularly and monitor how it's operating.
The publications within each class are all free electronically unless otherwise indicated.
If you have any comments or questions about this scheme or would like a copy of the Publication Scheme, please contact the FOI team. We can also send you hard copies but there may be a charge for this.
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 email the Director of Corporate Affairs, Lauren MacIntyre at mse.board.committeepapers@nhs.net.
Who we are and what we do
To find out how we fit into the NHS Structure or to request our organisational structure chart, email mse.foi.suhft@nhs.net.
Location and contact details for all public-facing departments - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/our-services.
Senior staff and management board members - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/meet-the-team.
What we spend and how we spend it
Annual report and accounts - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Budgets and variance reports - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Financial audit reports - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Standing financial instructions and our capital programme can be requested from mse.foi.suhft@nhs.net
Staff and Board members’ allowances and expenses - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Staff pay and grading structures
- Directors' pay details are included in our annual reports - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
- 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
Funding (included in the Annual Plan) at https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Procurement and tendering procedures can be requested from mse.foi.suhft@nhs.net
Details of contracts currently being tendered - For the most up to date information on tenders requiring OJEU adverts Tenders European Daily (TED)
List and value of contracts awarded and their value - For high value tenders Tenders European Daily (TED)
What are our priorities and how we're doing
Annual business plan and targets, aims and objectives can be requested from mse.foi.suhft@nhs.net
Performance against targets (KPI)/performance framework - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/board-meetings
Clinical governance - A risk analysis report forms part of the Annual Report - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
Care Quality Commission - https://www.cqc.org.uk
Audit reports (included in the annual reports) - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publications-and-reports
How we make decisions
Board papers - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/board-meetings
Patient and public involvement - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/council-of-governors
Our policies and procedures
All of our policies, procedures and guidelines, lists and registers can be requested from mse.foi.suhft@nhs.net,
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
Any register of interests kept in the authority register of Board Members’ Interests (included in the board meeting minutes) - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/board-meetings
The services we offer
Clinical services provided and/or commissioned - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/our-services
Patient information leaflets and other booklets and newsletters can be requested from mse.foi.suhft@nhs.net
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/pals
Communications Unit/Media - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/media-centre
Chaplaincy - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/chaplaincy
Advice and guidance - https://www.mse.nhs.uk/pals