Request
Reports, papers, internal correspondence and audit data relating to the quality of service offered to cancer patients by the oncology centre at Northampton General Hospital between 1995 and 2010 and origin of concerns or complaints raised by patients referred from Kettering General Hospital. Included in this information information relating to waiting times from the parient first being seen by the oncologist to commencing treatment for patients with breast cancer and lung cancer at the oncology centre at Northampton and Leicester Teaching Hospitals.
Mortality rate from Clostridium Dificile and MRSA at Kettering between 2003 and 2006.
Our Response
I refer to your letter concerning the quality of services offered to cancer patients at the Oncology Centre at Northampton General Hospital (NGH), and the mortality rate from Clostridium Dificile (CDiff) and MRSA infection at Kettering between 2003 and 2006.
I can confirm in accordance with S.1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do not hold the information that you have requested.
However, Section 16 of the FOIA places a duty on us to provide you with as much help and assistance as possible. The following information may therefore be of use to you.
Quality of Services offered to cancer patients at NGH
The only audit information NHS East Midlands holds relates to cancer waiting times which are reported via the Performance and Quality reports in our board papers. These are publicly available on our website and I have attached a link to a recent example of the information we report on for your information:
http://www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk/about-us/publications/?assetdetesctl990746=35057&categoryesctl990746=1303
You might also want to consider contacting Dr Elspeth Macdonald, Director, the East Midlands Cancer Network (Elspeth.macdonald@leicestercity.nhs.uk) for the specific information you require relating to your request.
Mortality rate from Clostridium Dificile and MRSA infection at Kettering
You may be able to obtain this information from the Health Protection Agency website which records volumes of infections on a quarterly basis. You will find a link to this below:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=HPAweb%2FPage%2FHPAwebAutoListName&cid=1153999752025&p=1153999752025&pagename=HPAwebWrapper&searchmode=simple&searchterm=hcai
The Office for National Statistics should hold mortality data relating to your request with reasons recorded as either CDiff or MRSA. Again, I have attached a link which might be of use:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nscl.asp?ID=5014
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
