Thank you for your request for information about the following:

1) how many letters have been issued, and at what cost to the tax payer?)

2) Of these letters how many were sent to individuals at an address where they no longer live?

3) Since its inception, Of the PCNs and Surcharges issued, how much money has been collected?

4) Since its inception, Of the PCNs and Surcharges issued, how many have been unpaid without proof of exemption or mitigating circumstances?

5) Of all these PCNs and Surcharges left unpaid, without exemption or mitigating circumstances;

a) How many debt recoveries have been issued?

b) How many individuals have been pursued in civil court to recover the lost money?

c) How many other instances have their been where the monies have been recovered other than through PCNs or Surcharges?

6) Which Governmental Department runs the NHSBSA and which Governmental Department runs the NHS?

7) Do the NHS and NHSBSA share data for patients who elect for sharing their data across the NHS?

8) Does the NHSBSA use a 'Unique Key Field' in their processing of customer data in order to identify individual patients?

9) Will a patient who changes address with or registers with a new GP, by doing so, automatically update their address with the NHSBSA. If not, where in the terms and conditions published by the NHSBSA is it specified that patients must separately notify the NHSBSA?

10) Since it's inception, how many complaints has the NHSBSA received and of these:

a) how many were upheld by the NHSBSA?

b) how many were not upheld and escalated to the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman?

c) Of the complaints escalated to the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman, how many complaints were upheld by the Ombudsman?

11) How many complaints were by the NHSBSA and PHO RE change of address?

12) Is any element of the NHSBSA run, administered or contracted out to a Private Sector Organisation?”

Your request was received on 20 June 2023 and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Response

Questions 1, 3 & 4

A copy of the information is attached.

There is no cost to the taxpayer. The cost of running the service is covered by the monies recovered through Penalty Charge Notices.

Question 2

Following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

Question 5

A) 0

B) 0

C) 0

Question 6

The NHSBSA is an Arm’s Length Body of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Question 7

Under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you. The information you requested is available from web link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/our-policies/privacy

This shows the NHSBSA privacy notice which explains how your data is processed by us. The prescription and dental forms signed by patients contain the patient declaration, which they agree with this.

Question 8

No

Question 9

No, patients need to contact us themselves to update their details, this information is advised with the correspondence the patient receives with their certificates.

Question 10

15,063 complaints have been received since 1 January 2017. We do not currently hold data regarding complaints before this point.

A) 964 were upheld

B) 11 were not upheld and went to PHSO

C) I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA.

Question 11

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA. The NHSBSA did not make any complaints.

Question 12

Yes, the NHSBSA uses private sector organisations. Indesser performs debt recovery management for NHS dental treatment penalty charges.

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2023” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.