Letter to St Helier Hospital regarding Private Provider Mobile Scanners

As promised in our earlier post here, we have written to the chief executive of St Helier hospital as follows. We will of course post an update when we receive a response:

Open Letter to Daniel Elkeles,

Chief Executive, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust.

06/12/2015

Dear Daniel,

I understand that a mobile CT scanning unit, provided by a private contractor called “InHealth” was delivered to the St Helier Hospital site on Friday (04/12/2015) evening.

Can you please provide answers to the following:

1. I understand that St Helier Hospital has it’s own CT Scanning suite, which is owned by the trust (please correct me if I am wrong). That being the case, why was it necessary to hire a privately provided scanner on Friday?
2. How long has the unit been hired for on this occasion?
3. Over the last 24 months, how many times has a mobile CT unit been hired from a 3^rd party?
4. Regarding item 3, for each case, what was the reason for hiring a 3^rd party provider’s scanner?
5. Regarding item 3, for each case, what was the total monetary cost for contracting the 3^rd party provided unit?
6. Assuming that my understanding about the on-site CT scanning unit being wholly owned is correct, over the last 24 months, please can you tell me:

1. How many times it has broken down, or otherwise been out of action
2. For each case, what was the cause of the breakdown or inavailability
3. For each case, how long it was out of action
4. For each case, what the cost of repair was
5. Whether there is an ongoing routine maintenance contract on the in-house unit
6. Assuming the answer to question 6(5) is yes, what is the annual cost for the contract

In addition, I would like answers to the same questions above regarding St Helier Hospital’s MRI Scanning suite which, unlike Epsom Hospital’s unit (is provided by private provider “Alliance”).

Please be advised that this letter is considered an “open letter”, and as such will be published accordingly. It has been copied to your FOI department, along with the Sutton Guardian.

Thank you for your prompt reply.

 

Kind regards,

KOSHH (Keep Our St Helier Hospital campaign)