Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 216-2026
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
1. Aseptic labs and services (pharmacy cleanrooms)
1a. How many aseptic preparation units (pharmacy cleanrooms where sterile medicines are made up) does the trust operate, and what does each mainly prepare (for example chemotherapy, intravenous additives, intravenous feeding, or radiopharmacy, which is radioactive tracers for scans?
1b. For each aseptic unit, in what year was it built or last fully refurbished? A full refurbishment includes replacing the cleanroom air-handling or ventilation.
1c. Does each unit hold a manufacturing “specials” licence from the medicines regulator (the MHRA), or does it operate under the pharmacy exemption (section 10 of the Medicines Act) without a licence?
1d. Has the trust assessed its aseptic units against the current sterile-preparation standard (the updated Annex 1 rules on cleanroom air quality)? If so, do any units fall short of it or need upgrading to comply?
1e. Is any aseptic preparation outsourced to a commercial or external NHS unit? If so, to which provider, and roughly what share of the workload?
1f. Are there approved or planned schemes in the next five years to build, expand, replace or refurbish aseptic units? For each, please give a brief description, an indicative value, and the expected date.
1g. In the last five years, has limited aseptic capacity affected the trust’s ability to prepare chemotherapy or other sterile medicines, or led to buying them in from an outside provider? Please describe briefly.
Our response:
In accordance with section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we can confirm that Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust does not hold the information requested for this part of your request. Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust does not operate any aseptic suites or pharmacy cleanrooms and therefore does not hold the information requested. You may wish to redirect this part of your request to Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at ghn-tr.foi@nhs.net.
You asked:
2. Surgical robots and theatre technology
2a. How many surgical robotic systems does the trust currently operate, and of what make and model?
2b. Are there approved or planned schemes to acquire further robotic systems within the next five years? Please give the number and the expected date.
2c. Have any operating theatres been enlarged or upgraded to take robotic or hybrid use in the last five years, or are any such works planned? If so, please describe briefly.
Our response:
In accordance with section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we can confirm that Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust does not hold information about surgical robotic systems, because the Trust does not operate any surgical robotic systems and has no approved or planned schemes to acquire any within the next five years. You may wish to redirect this part of your request to Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at ghn-tr.foi@nhs.net.
You asked:
3. Wards and day surgery
3a. What was the day-case rate for elective surgery (the percentage of elective procedures carried out as day cases) over the most recent twelve months?
Our response:
100%
You asked:
3b. Are there approved or planned schemes within the next five years to refurbish or replace surgical wards, or to create a new day-surgery unit? Please describe briefly, with expected dates.
Our response:
No.
You asked:
4. Estate agency and continuity
4a. Is RAAC present anywhere in the trust’s estate? If yes, is any of it in, or directly adjacent to, operating theatres, endoscopy or decontamination facilities?
Our response:
No, RAAC is not present anywhere in the Trusts estate.
You asked:
4b. In the last five financial years, has the trust used any temporary, mobile or modular clinical facility (theatre, ward, endoscopy, decontamination or diagnostic unit)? For each, please give the facility type, the supplier where recorded, the duration of use, and the total spend.
Our response:
No, the Trust has not used any temporary, mobile or modular clinical facilities in the last 5 years.
You asked:
4c. Does the trust hold a current decant or continuity plan that anticipates moving surgical, endoscopy or decontamination services out of their normal location to allow refurbishment or replacement within the next five years?
Our response:
No current decant plan. There are Business Continuity Plans in place and would be enacted.
You asked:
Capital programme and procurement
5a. Please list the trust’s currently approved or planned capital schemes for the next five years that affect operating theatres, endoscopy, decontamination, aseptic services, or surgical wards. For each, please give the scheme name, a brief description, an indicative value, and the expected start and finish dates.
Our response:
Planned refurbishment of the Cirencester Hospital Site. Project is in early (preapproval) phase. Site includes a Theatre and Endoscopy unit that may / may not be impacted.
You asked:
5b. Through which framework or frameworks does the trust usually procure temporary or modular clinical buildings (for example, NHS Supply Chain or Crown Commercial Service)?
Our response:
No framework/s used as temporary or modular clinical buildings not used.
You asked:
5c. In the last five years, has the trust considered or used private finance, third-party investment, or a rental or managed-service arrangement to provide clinical capacity? If so, please describe briefly.
Our response:
No, in the last 5 years the Trust has not considered or used private finance, third-party investment or a rental or managed service arrangements to provide clinical capacity.
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.