Request
Dear Sir/Madam
I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:
- Copies of all Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) risk assessments of configuration that have been sent to the Strategic Health Authority.
I would like the information sent electronically.
Please let me know if you have any questions, require any clarifications, or wish to advise a reformulated request.
Our response
I refer to your email requesting information in respect of CCG risk assessment of configuration.
I can confirm in accordance with S.1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do not hold all of the information that you have requested. The configuration risk assessment is still underway and the ratings will be made available via the Cluster SHA board papers when the assessment has been completed.
We, therefore, believe that all the information which has been requested is exempt from release at the current time under Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act, which states that information can be exempt from release if:
“the information is held by the public authority with a view to its publication, by the authority or any other person, at some future date”.
In applying this exemption, we have considered the necessary public interest test. We recognise that there is a public interest in making information available to the public about how NHS organisations spend taxpayers’ resources, so that the health service can be held accountable for this spending. We also recognise that there is a public interest in making information available about the work of CCG’s that improve public health.
However, given the current interest in the future development of health services, as proposed by the Government’s national NHS reforms, we also believe it is in the public interest to ensure that members of the public and other stakeholders have access to accurate and complete information about local services. We believe that releasing different sets of un-validated and incomplete information which are still being checked for completeness would cause confusion to the public and other relevant stakeholders.
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
