Request

You asked us:

[Q1]‘How many post payment verification audits you have done in 22/23 23/24 financial year for opticians.

[Q2] Please list which areas and provide names of corporate contractors undergone audits.

[Q3] Please confirm amount of money paid back by which contractors in 22/23 and 23/24

I do not wish to see those individuals as that would be personal data.’

You clarified your request with:

These are optometry companies registered as corporate bodys and not as individuals. You as in BSA issue these contracts on behalf of ICBs.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 18 May 2024.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

Our response

Question 1

26 post payment verification checks have been completed on cases which were started in the 2022-23 financial year.

1 post payment verification check has been completed on cases which were started in the 2023-24 financial year.

Please note the above figures do not include cases which are ongoing, or where the recovery took place after the 2023-24 financial year.

Question 2 and 3

A copy of the information is attached. Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data.

By 'corporate contractor', we mean a GOS contract holder whose company is incorporated on Companies House.

Please note, due to NHSBSA undertaking GOS Contract Management on a national scale from April 2022, we are unable to assure the quality of data relating to 'Contract Name' and 'Contract Type' for contractors pre-2022.

Recoveries from 2022-23 cases were mainly processed in 2023-24 as the post payment verification started in 2022-23 (March), but the process was completed in 2023-24 financial year.

Please note that we have not included cases which are ongoing, or where the recovery took place after the 2023-24 financial year.

NHSBSA does not process recoveries. They are submitted to Commissioning Teams to action.

The Contracts are held and managed by NHS England. NHSBSA acts on behalf of NHS England when doing post payment verification checks.

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.

Reusing the data and copyright

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 2024” 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.