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Responses > The Primary Care-Associated Helicobacter Pylori testing

Freedom of Information request The Primary Care-Associated Helicobacter Pylori testing

Response published: 27 March 2025

FOI Request

This FOI request seeks to establish the types, numbers, costs and timings of Helicobacter pylori tests performed by your Trust (or on its behalf) for primary care providers. Question 1: Your Trust In your response to this FOI request, could you please specify the identity of the parts of your Trust for which this FOI is relevant, and for which you are responding. Question 2: Types of Tests and Providers Which types of tests relevant for the primary care diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (e.g., stool antigen test, urea breath test, serology) do you perform within your Trust, or have performed on your behalf by a Third party? If outsourced, could you please specify the Third party used. Question 3: Test Types and Volumes How many Helicobacter pylori tests of each of these types were performed by your Trust or on its behalf in the most recent 12-month period, or other defined accounting period for which data is available? Question 4: Requirements for in-Person Testing Which types of tests required the in-person attendance of the patient at your Trust or its Third-party provider for testing, how many such in-person attendances were required, and what was the average time taken between patient arrival and departure? Question 5: Turnaround Time for Test Results Specifying each type of Helicobacter pylori test performed by your Trust, or on its behalf, could you please provide the average time (in hours) between receipt of sample to transmission of test result to the GP practice? Question 6: Test costs and Tariffs For each type of Helicobacter pylori test performed by your Trust or on its behalf, what is the total cost of performing the test to your Trust or the Third party provider (i.e., personnel, infrastructure, reagents and consumables, etc)? What does your Trust charge for performing each of these tests? Do these tests correspond to standard NHS tariffs or HRG codes? If so, could you please specify the tariff code and amount charged for each test type.

FOI Response

Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 399-2025

Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.

You asked:

This FOI request seeks to establish the types, numbers, costs and timings of Helicobacter pylori tests performed by your Trust (or on its behalf) for primary care providers.

Question 1: Your Trust

In your response to this FOI request, could you please specify the identity of the parts of your Trust for which this FOI is relevant, and for which you are responding.

Question 2: Types of Tests and Providers Which types of tests relevant for the primary care diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (e.g., stool antigen test, urea breath test, serology) do you perform within your Trust, or have performed on your behalf by a Third party? If outsourced, could you please specify the Third party used.

Question 3: Test Types and Volumes

How many Helicobacter pylori tests of each of these types were performed by your Trust or on its behalf in the most recent 12-month period, or other defined accounting period for which data is available?

Question 4: Requirements for in-Person Testing Which types of tests required the in-person attendance of the patient at your Trust or its Third-party provider for testing, how many such in-person attendances were required, and what was the average time taken between patient arrival and departure?

Question 5: Turnaround Time for Test Results Specifying each type of Helicobacter pylori test performed by your Trust, or on its behalf, could you please provide the average time (in hours) between receipt of sample to transmission of test result to the GP practice?

Question 6: Test costs and Tariffs

For each type of Helicobacter pylori test performed by your Trust or on its behalf, what is the total cost of performing the test to your Trust or the Third party provider (i.e., personnel, infrastructure, reagents and consumables, etc)? What does your Trust charge for performing each of these tests? Do these tests correspond to standard NHS tariffs or HRG codes? If so, could you please specify the tariff code and amount charged for each test type.

Our response:

The Trust does not provide the services mentioned on your request. Please contact Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

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.