Rheumatology `Duty of Candour' letters (FOI)

​​​Request

Following the Royal College of Physicians report of the Rheumatology Department, Patrick Armstrong presented a detailed report to the Health and Community Services (HCS) Advisory Board. The report confirmed that rheumatology patients for whom possible harm has been identified will receive an individual ‘Duty of Candour’ letter which apologises and explains the medical harm that may have been caused.

Please confirm if these ‘Duty of Candour’ letters have been sent out yet and, if so, to how many patients?

If not, please confirm when these ‘Duty of Candour’ letters will be sent out, and to how many patients?

Response

Duty of Candour letters pertaining to possible harm identified in Rheumatology Department patients have been sent to fewer than five individuals to date. As numbers are small, disclosure control has been applied to protect the privacy of individuals, and Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Any individuals for whom possible harm has been identified will be sent a letter by the end of July 2024.

Article Applied

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.​