FOI Request
- Disclosure ID
- FOI/03269
- Request Date
- August 15, 2019
- Subject
- No Deal Brexit Planning
- Description
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2001 to request the following information.
This information is in respect of your contingency planning for a “No Deal” Brexit that is forecast for 31 October 2019.
My interest is not in the efficiency of your planning. My interest lies in better understanding how you are predicting the consequences on a No Deal Brexit on 31 October. The information I request is set out below.
- The contingency planning instructions and assumptions you have received from the Department of Health, and/or NHS England, and/or any other body;
- Any separate instructions from any of the above entities you have received in respect of the release of such plans or parts thereof to the public;
- Copies of any contingency plans or draft plans you have so far prepared.
- If these plans are not available in full, then details will suffice covering:
- Estimates of likely cancelled elective surgery over the period 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020, or the period for which you have made forecasts;
- Estimates in changes in waiting times over your current waiting times for:
- Cancer diagnosis;
- The commencement of cancer treatment;
- The impact on A&E services including changes you anticipate in meeting A&E response times;
- Your broad estimates of total avoidable deaths (or changes in forecast death rates) that can be attributed to your anticipated changes to service levels.
- Response
A risk assessment has been completed in line with the DHSC EU Exit Operational Guidelines.
Section 36(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 stipulates that we are not obliged to confirm or deny whether we hold any further information as this would prejudice or be likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs.
Whilst there is a public interest in disclosing such information, the Trust considers that disclosure of this information may also affect future negotiations and reduce the trust’s bargaining position with suppliers and therefore impact upon the trust’s ability to secure the best commercial deal and value for taxpayers’ money. This would be in breach of Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act.
You may also want to consider Section 35 of the Freedom of Information Act, where disclosure would compromise the integrity of a policy in progress, resulting in a less robust or effective strategy being developed. This exemption aims to ensure a safe space for a public authority to consider their assessment options in private.
The requested information is held by the Department of Health & Social Care, please follow the link below to redirect your request.