Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 197-2026
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
1. Please provide the date when your medical device (as defined by MHRA, i.e. also including relevant software) procurement policy (or policies, if you e.g. have a separate one for medical software) was/were last updated.
Our response:
The Medical Devices policy was last updated: 20 March 2023
You asked:
2. Please state whether the policy (mentioned in point 1 above) requires that a clinical ethicist should be consulted during purchase decisions (if a clinical ethicist is only needs to be consulted under certain conditions, please list these). A clinical ethicists is defined as a member of your clinical ethics committee (under whatever name it operates in your organisation, but this does not include research ethics committees) or an academic with a dedicated post in ethics or a permanent staff members explicitly employed to provide clinical ethics support.
Our response:
The Medical Devices Policy does not require consultation with a clinical ethicist during purchase decisions.
You asked:
3. If the policy requires ethical issues to be considered during such devise purchase decisions, but not via input of a clinical ethicist as defined above, please state the mechanisms in place for fulfilling that requirement.
Our response:
Not applicable. As the policy does not require clinical ethicist input or set out a separate mechanism for ethical review during purchase decisions, there is no further mechanism to report under this request.
You asked:
4. Please state whether you had clinical ethicist (as defined above) involvement in the purchase of any clinical artificial intelligence applications irrespective of whether this is mandated by your policy.
Our response:
Not applicable, on the basis that the Trust has not identified any relevant clinical artificial intelligence application purchases requiring clinical ethicist involvement.
Next steps:
Should you have any queries in relation to our response, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are unhappy with the response you have received in relation to your request and wish to ask us to review our response, you should write to:
Louise Moss
Head of Legal Services / Associate Director of Corporate Governance
c/o Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Jenner Court
1010 Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester Business Park
Brockworth, GL3 4AW
E-mail: louise.moss@ghc.nhs.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of any review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice/guidance. Generally, the ICO will not consider your case unless you have exhausted your enquiries with the Trust which should include considering the use of the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.