The use of FFP3 type masks during exposure to aerosol generating procedures (AGP’s): FOI release

Information requested

1. Please provide copies of all publications, internal correspondence and correspondence to/from health boards including specialist health boards regarding the use of FFP3 type masks during exposure to aerosol generating procedures (AGP’s).
2. Please also provide a list of AGP’s and confirm what levels of resuscitation are considered, at this point post pandemic, to require FFP3 masks by clinicians at all relevant grades.
3. Please provide and reference specifically any correspondence with regards to First Responders within The Scottish Ambulance Service should any exchanges exist within The Scottish Government.

Response

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to a small amount of the information. Further information on this exemption can be found in Annex A.

Response to your request

1. Please provide copies of all publications, internal correspondence and correspondence to/from health boards including specialist health boards regarding the use of FFP3 type masks during exposure to aerosol generating procedures (AGP’s).

Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

We do endeavour to provide information whenever possible. However, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600.

You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. The request may be reduced by further specifying the type of the correspondence, such as copies of publications and reports, or communications between a particular Health Board in which you are interested, or by narrowing the timeframe. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner’s ‘Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs’ on there website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx.

2. Please also provide a list of AGP’s and confirm what levels of resuscitation are considered, at this point post pandemic, to require FFP3 masks by clinicians at all relevant grades.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. You may wish to contact Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland at NSS.ARHAIinfectioncontrol@nhs.scot who may be able to provide or direct you to the requested information.

3. Please provide and reference specifically any correspondence with regards to First Responders within The Scottish Ambulance Service should any exchanges exist within The Scottish Government.

A briefing note on the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) – dated 17 March 2020. An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to this document.

ANNEX A

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e the names and contact details of individuals. Disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202300373017 - Information Released - Document

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