Use of Remdesivir in Hospitals

This is to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail message.

(The above is generated by an auto-reply programme)

Hospital Authority ([1]www.ha.org.hk)

=====================================

謝謝閣下的電子郵件。

（以上為電腦自動發出的訊息）

醫院管理局 ([2]www.ha.org.hk)

=====================================

谢谢阁下的电子邮件。

（以上为电脑自动发出的讯息）

医院管理局 ([3]www.ha.org.hk)

________________________________
***************************************************************************
Disclaimer

This Email may contain privileged and confidential information and is
solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended
recipient, you must not print, copy, distribute or take any action in
reliance on it. If you have received this Email by mistake, please notify
the sender and then delete this Email from your computer. The Hospital
Authority does not accept liability arising from Email transmitted by
mistake.

Although this Email and any attachments are believed to be free of virus
or other defects that might affect any computer system into which it is
received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure
that it is virus free, and no responsibility is accepted by the Hospital
Authority for any loss or damage in any way arising from its use.

All views or opinions expressed in this Email and its attachments are
those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions
of the Hospital Authority.
***************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
2. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
3. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk

收起引用部分

Dear Mrs Van de Pol,

Thank you for your Application for Access to Information dated 7 December
2021. The Department of Health also transferred your same request to the
Hospital Authority (HA) on 7 December 2021 for handling.

As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
departments concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
request on or before 24 December 2021.

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

-----Original Message-----
From: Allyson van de Pol
Sent: Tuesday, December 7, 2021 7:11 AM
To: [1][Hospital Authority request email]
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Use of Remdesivir in Hospitals

------------------------

EXTERNAL EMAIL: This email originated from outside of HA. Do not click any
links, open any attachments, or reply unless you trust the sender and know
the content is safe. Use the "Report Phishing Email" function to report
suspicious emails.

------------------------

Dear Hospital Authority,

Can you please advise the following:

-Number of patients that have been prescribed Remdesivir from 2015 -2021
(to date) -The condition/ disease the patient was suffering from -The
outcome of the disease ie recovered or died

Many thanks

Yours faithfully,

Allyson van de Pol

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[2][FOI #898 email]

Is [3][Hospital Authority request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Hospital Authority? If so, please contact us using this form:

[4]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[5]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************************************************************
Disclaimer

This Email may contain privileged and confidential information and is
solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended
recipient, you must not print, copy, distribute or take any action in
reliance on it. If you have received this Email by mistake, please notify
the sender and then delete this Email from your computer. The Hospital
Authority does not accept liability arising from Email transmitted by
mistake.

Although this Email and any attachments are believed to be free of virus
or other defects that might affect any computer system into which it is
received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure
that it is virus free, and no responsibility is accepted by the Hospital
Authority for any loss or damage in any way arising from its use.

All views or opinions expressed in this Email and its attachments are
those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions
of the Hospital Authority.
***************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Hospital Authority request email]
2. mailto:[FOI #898 email]
3. mailto:[Hospital Authority request email]
4. https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...
5. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

收起引用部分

Dear Mrs Van de Pol,

Further to my reply dated 16 December 2021, please find below the Hospital
Authority (HA) Head Office’s response to the items you requested:

Remdesivir can be an option of treatment for COVID-19 under conditional
approval by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong. The HA does not
have customised records/information which indicate the number of patients
in hospitals that have been prescribed remdesivir, the condition/disease
the patient was suffering from and the outcome of the disease (i.e.
recovered or died). According to paragraph 1.14 of the Code on Access to
Information, the Code does not oblige departments to create a record which
does not exist.

You may wish to note that there are local studies on the use of remdesivir
for patients with COVID-19. The relevant studies can be accessed via
[1]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34265054/, which might be of interest
to you.

If you have any questions about this reply, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

From: [2][Hospital Authority request email]
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2021 7:03 PM
To: '[FOI #898 email]'
Cc: '[email address]'
Subject: Application for Access to Information (Allyson van de Pol)
Freedom of Information request - Use of Remdesivir in Hospitals

Dear Mrs Van de Pol,

Thank you for your Application for Access to Information dated 7 December
2021. The Department of Health also transferred your same request to the
Hospital Authority (HA) on 7 December 2021 for handling.

As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
departments concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
request on or before 24 December 2021.

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

-----Original Message-----
From: Allyson van de Pol
Sent: Tuesday, December 7, 2021 7:11 AM
To: [3][Hospital Authority request email]
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Use of Remdesivir in Hospitals

------------------------

EXTERNAL EMAIL: This email originated from outside of HA. Do not click any
links, open any attachments, or reply unless you trust the sender and know
the content is safe. Use the "Report Phishing Email" function to report
suspicious emails.

------------------------

Dear Hospital Authority,

Can you please advise the following:

-Number of patients that have been prescribed Remdesivir from 2015 -2021
(to date) -The condition/ disease the patient was suffering from -The
outcome of the disease ie recovered or died

Many thanks

Yours faithfully,

Allyson van de Pol

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[4][FOI #898 email]

Is [5][Hospital Authority request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Hospital Authority? If so, please contact us using this form:

[6]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[7]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************************************************************
Disclaimer

This Email may contain privileged and confidential information and is
solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended
recipient, you must not print, copy, distribute or take any action in
reliance on it. If you have received this Email by mistake, please notify
the sender and then delete this Email from your computer. The Hospital
Authority does not accept liability arising from Email transmitted by
mistake.

Although this Email and any attachments are believed to be free of virus
or other defects that might affect any computer system into which it is
received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure
that it is virus free, and no responsibility is accepted by the Hospital
Authority for any loss or damage in any way arising from its use.

All views or opinions expressed in this Email and its attachments are
those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions
of the Hospital Authority.
***************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34265054/
2. mailto:[Hospital Authority request email]
3. mailto:[Hospital Authority request email]
4. mailto:[FOI #898 email]
5. mailto:[Hospital Authority request email]
6. https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...
7. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

收起引用部分

This is to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail message.

(The above is generated by an auto-reply programme)

Hospital Authority ([1]www.ha.org.hk)

=====================================

謝謝閣下的電子郵件。

（以上為電腦自動發出的訊息）

醫院管理局 ([2]www.ha.org.hk)

=====================================

谢谢阁下的电子邮件。

（以上为电脑自动发出的讯息）

医院管理局 ([3]www.ha.org.hk)

________________________________
***************************************************************************
Disclaimer

This Email may contain privileged and confidential information and is
solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended
recipient, you must not print, copy, distribute or take any action in
reliance on it. If you have received this Email by mistake, please notify
the sender and then delete this Email from your computer. The Hospital
Authority does not accept liability arising from Email transmitted by
mistake.

Although this Email and any attachments are believed to be free of virus
or other defects that might affect any computer system into which it is
received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure
that it is virus free, and no responsibility is accepted by the Hospital
Authority for any loss or damage in any way arising from its use.

All views or opinions expressed in this Email and its attachments are
those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions
of the Hospital Authority.
***************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
2. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
3. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk

收起引用部分

Dear Mrs Van de Pol,

Thank you for your email dated 21 December 2021 in which you made a
request to the Hospital Authority (HA) for a review of the HA Head
Office’s response dated 20 December 2021.

As the departments concerned need more time to process your request, you
will be advised further in relation to your request on or before 10
January 2022.

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

-----Original Message-----
From: Allyson van de Pol <[1][索取資料要求電郵#898]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2021 1:50 PM
To: [2][醫院管理局供索取資料的電郵]
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Use of
Remdesivir in Hospitals

------------------------

EXTERNAL EMAIL: This email originated from outside of HA. Do not click any
links, open any attachments, or reply unless you trust the sender and know
the content is safe. Use the "Report Phishing Email" function to report
suspicious emails.

------------------------

Dear Enquiry (Hospital Authority),

Thanks very much Ms Chu, Unfortunately the study you mention does not give
enough data.

Considering that Remdesivir is a closely monitored drug (black triangle
scheme in the UK), I fail to see how the HA can not keep records of its
prescription and delivery.

Could you please look into this further.

Thank you

Yours sincerely,

Allyson van de Pol

-----Original Message-----

Dear Mrs Van de Pol,

Further to my reply dated 16 December 2021, please find below the Hospital

Authority (HA) Head Office’s response to the items you requested:

Remdesivir can be an option of treatment for COVID-19 under conditional

approval by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong. The HA does not

have customised records/information which indicate the number of patients

in hospitals that have been prescribed remdesivir, the condition/disease

the patient was suffering from and the outcome of the disease (i.e.

recovered or died). According to paragraph 1.14 of the Code on Access to

Information, the Code does not oblige departments to create a record which

does not exist.

You may wish to note that there are local studies on the use of remdesivir

for patients with COVID-19. The relevant studies can be accessed via

[1][3]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34265054/, which might be of
interest

to you.

If you have any questions about this reply, please do not hesitate to

contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

From: [2][Hospital Authority request email]

Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2021 7:03 PM

To: '[FOI #898 email]'

Cc: '[email address]'

Subject: Application for Access to Information (Allyson van de Pol)

Freedom of Information request - Use of Remdesivir in Hospitals

Dear Mrs Van de Pol,

Thank you for your Application for Access to Information dated 7 December

2021. The Department of Health also transferred your same request to the

Hospital Authority (HA) on 7 December 2021 for handling.

As the processing of your request involves consultation with the

departments concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information

sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your

request on or before 24 December 2021.

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to

contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[4][索取資料要求電郵#898]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[5]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************************************************************
Disclaimer

This Email may contain privileged and confidential information and is
solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended
recipient, you must not print, copy, distribute or take any action in
reliance on it. If you have received this Email by mistake, please notify
the sender and then delete this Email from your computer. The Hospital
Authority does not accept liability arising from Email transmitted by
mistake.

Although this Email and any attachments are believed to be free of virus
or other defects that might affect any computer system into which it is
received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure
that it is virus free, and no responsibility is accepted by the Hospital
Authority for any loss or damage in any way arising from its use.

All views or opinions expressed in this Email and its attachments are
those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions
of the Hospital Authority.
***************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[索取資料要求電郵#898]
2. mailto:[醫院管理局供索取資料的電郵]
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34265054/
4. mailto:[索取資料要求電郵#898]
5. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

收起引用部分

Dear Mrs Van de Pol,

Further to my reply dated 30 December 2021, please find below the outcome
of the Hospital Authority (HA) Head Office’s review of the response dated
20 December 2021.

The provision of the requested information would involve retrieval,
standardisation, verification and compilation of raw data. Staff in the
departments concerned in the HA Head Office and hospitals would have to be
diverted from their core duties and other more urgent work, which would
affect the execution of the HA’s proper functions. Hence, the HA is unable
to accede to your request for the reason set out in paragraph 2.9(d) of
the Code on Access to Information which states:

“Information which could only be made available by unreasonable diversion
of departments’ resources.” (paragraph 2.9(d))

If you believe that the HA has failed to properly apply any provision of
the Code on Access to Information, you may complain to the Ombudsman
(email: [1][email address] or postal address: 30/F, China
Merchants Tower, Shun Tak Centre, 168-200 Connaught Road Central, Hong
Kong).

You may wish to know that for academic research, the HA has in place a
mechanism and standard procedures for handling external data request
applications. [[2]Standard Procedures] and [[3]Personal Information
Collection Statement (PICS)] are applicable to all data request
applications. For details, please visit
[4]http://www3.ha.org.hk/data/Provision/Ind.... In brief, there are two
options under the current mechanism, namely Option A and Option B with
details as follows:

Option A: Expedited Approach

There are five pre-defined datasets on the utilisation of different HA
core services that the requestor can choose from, each with specific data
measures and well-defined classification variables. The output is a set of
aggregate summary count data on specific measures analysed by detailed
classification variables. The turnaround time would be shorter, and the
charge for processing the request ($15,000 or above, depending on the data
selection and specification) would be lower as compared to Option B.

Option B: Customised Approach

The customised approach is applicable if the requestor requires
patient-based records or aggregate data other than those covered by Option
A. In the case where the application is accepted by the HA, a charge will
be imposed on the requestor for the provision of data which are customised
according to the research protocol ($60,000 or above, depending on the
complexity of the request), calculated based on the agreed data
requirements and resources required for generating the customised
dataset(s).

The requestor will need to submit the following documents by email to the
Central Panel on Administrative Assessment of External Data Requests at
[5][email address]:

· Project Information Sheet (if opt for Option A) or research
protocol (if opt for Option B);

· Completed Data Request Application Form (Form A or B) in WORD
format to spell out the data specifications and their relevance to the
requestor’s research; and

· Documentary proof of research ethics approval (applicable only
to requests for patient-based records).

If you have any questions about this reply, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

From: [6][Hospital Authority request email]
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2021 3:21 PM
To: '[FOI #898 email]'
Subject: Application for Access to Information (Allyson van de Pol)
Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Use of Remdesivir in
Hospitals

Dear Mrs Van de Pol,

Thank you for your email dated 21 December 2021 in which you made a
request to the Hospital Authority (HA) for a review of the HA Head
Office’s response dated 20 December 2021.

As the departments concerned need more time to process your request, you
will be advised further in relation to your request on or before 10
January 2022.

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

-----Original Message-----
From: Allyson van de Pol <[7][FOI #898 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2021 1:50 PM
To: [8][Hospital Authority request email]
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Use of
Remdesivir in Hospitals