Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 328-2025
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
1. How many episodes of care were coded by your organisation in 2024 (both inpatient and outpatient)?
Our response:
1881 – Inpatient, 0 – Outpatient
You asked:
2. How many episodes of care went uncoded in 2024?
Our response:
41
You asked:
3. How much income do you estimate was not generated due to uncoded activity?
Our response:
The Trust does not hold the information requested, clinical coders are outsourced
You asked:
4. Can you provide the split of coding volumes between specialities (e.g., oncology, cardiology)?
Our response:
All inpatient episodes are General Medicine
You asked:
5. Please explain how your organisation manages coding activity.
Our response:
The Trust outsources clinical coding to CHKS for services that require national coding. For all other services, the Trust holds information in the patients electronic record that is recorded by our operational teams, not clinical coders
You asked:
6. Are outpatient and inpatient coding managed by the same team or separate teams?
Our response:
Inpatient coding is outsourced. The Trust does not submit outpatient data and only has community contacts for both Mental Health and Physical Health services, these are coded by the clinicians themselves
You asked:
7. How many Whole-Time Equivalent (WTE) staff complete clinical coding for the Trust?
Our response:
The Trust does not hold the information requested, clinical coders are outsourced
You asked:
8. What proportion of the total WTE staff for clinical coding is substantive (permanent), bank staff, and agency staff?
Our response:
The Trust does not hold the information requested, clinical coders are outsourced
You asked:
9. Does the Trust currently have any automated solutions in place for clinical coding?
Our response:
No
You asked:
10. If yes, please explain the automated solution that is in place
Our response:
Not applicable
You asked:
11. If not, is the Trust planning to implement automated coding solutions in the next 12–24 months? Or would it be interested in exploring potential solutions?
Our response:
Not at present
You asked:
12. Is the Trust currently on Payment by Results (PbR), block contracts, or another financial model?
Our response:
Block contracts
You asked:
13. What clinical coding systems or software does the Trust currently use to capture clinical codes?
Our response:
The Trust’s EPRs
You asked:
14. Does your Trust’s Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system integrate clinical coding, or do clinical departments use standalone systems?
Our response:
The Trust’s Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system integrates clinical coding
You asked:
15. What are the main challenges the Trust faces in clinical coding (e.g., timeliness, accuracy, staffing shortages)?
Our response:
Timeliness of discharge summaries being completed
You asked:
16. Could you provide the contact details (name, job title, and email) of the person who is ultimately responsible for overseeing clinical coding within the Trust?
Our response:
Head of Clinical Systems, Jessica Blakeman – contract manager only
ghcit@ghc.nhs.uk
Quality is managed through policy and NTQ
Having carried out a public interest test, we apply the exemption, S(2) 36 – prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs.
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.