Request
I attach for your information a FOI request made to NHS Lincolnshire PCT and their reply which I have just received. I would be most grateful if you would provide more details of the following:-
1. How do you account for the difference in the funding requested (and granted) by the Department of Health (£1.45 million) and the funding allocated to NHS Lincolnshire PCT (£1.33 million)? What happened to the £120,000?
2. What is meant by “part year funding of a number of schemes associated with water fluoridation”? Please provide details of the “water fluoridation schemes” and what their TOTAL year costs are.
3. Why was the allocation withdrawn?
4. What has happened to the £1.45 million allocated by the Department of Health?
Our Response
I refer to your email of 3 July requesting information in respect of Department of Health funding around water fluoridation.
After considering the substance of your request it has been assessed as falling within the ambit of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. I can confirm that NHS East Midlands does hold the information you have requested.
In 2009/10 NHS Nottinghamshire County was allocated £890k from the Department of Health as the first year of funding to update water fluoridation plans within the East Midlands.
Of that funding, £65k as paid to the Severn Trent Water http://www.stwater.co.uk/ for works carried out. The remaining funds were reclaimed by the Department of Health as underspend.
The money was spent on initial works leading to the upgrade of Fluoridation plants to comply with current codes of practice.
I hope that this information is of use. If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request you can ask us to review our decision by writing to:-
Mr Moosa Patel
Director of Corporate Affairs
NHS East Midlands
Octavia House
Interchange Business Park
Bostock's Lane
Sandiacre
Nottingham
NG10 5QG
If at the conclusion of any review you remain dissatisfied you may complain to the Information Commissioner who can be contacted at:-
The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
