FOI 1709 – ICB Dealings with BGI Group

Response

Date: 24 November 2022

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – DECISION NOTICE

Dear Sir / Madam,

FOI Reference Number: 1709

· Does the Integrated Care Board have any contractual agreements with BGI Group, or any of its subsidiaries including but not limited to MGI Tech, BGI Genomics and BGI Diagnosis?

· Do any of the hospitals within the Integrated Care Board area use BGI Group products, services and/or technologies, or any of those of BGI Group’s subsidiaries including but not limited to MGI Tech, BGI Genomics and BGI Diagnosis?

· Does the Integrated Care Board or any of its constituent hospitals conduct research with BGI Group or any of its subsidiaries including but not limited to MGI Tech, BGI Genomics and BGI Diagnosis?

· Has the Integrated Care Board or any of its constituent hospitals been provided with the products, services and/or technologies of BGI Group or any of its subsidiaries including but not limited to MGI Tech, BGI Genomics and BGI Diagnosis from a) NHS England, b) Department of Health and Social Care, c) Francis Crick Institute, d) NHS Genomic Medicine Service and e) Wellcome Sanger Trust?

· Have genetic material or data arising from such from patients from within the Integrated Care Board been provided to BGI Group or any of its subsidiaries including but not limited to MGI Tech, BGI Genomics and BGI Diagnosis? If so, what due diligence was undertaken before sending?

Our response:

I can confirm that there are no contractual agreements between Derby and Derbyshire ICB and BGI Group, or any of its subsidiaries. The ICB do not use any of their products or research services and have not sent them any data or material.

Please note that with respect to any arrangements that Derbyshire hospital Trusts may have with BGI Group, the ICB do not hold this information. We would recommend that you contact the Trusts directly for this information at the following locations:

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust:
https://www.chesterfieldroyal.nhs.uk/about-us/contact-us/freedom-information

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust:
https://www.uhdb.nhs.uk/freedom-of-information-foi/

I hope that this answers your queries with the information we currently hold, but if I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to:

NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB
FOI Team
Scarsdale
Nightingale Close
Newbold
Chesterfield
S41 7PF

Or:

ddicb.foi@nhs.net

If you are not content with the outcome of our review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, telephone 0303 123 1113, email casework@ico.org.uk.

Yours faithfully,

Kathryn Jacklin
FOI Officer
Derby and Derbyshire ICB

All information we have provided is subject to the provisions of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015. Accordingly, if the information has been made available for re-use under the Open Government Licence (OGL) a request to re-use is not required, but the licence conditions must be met. You must not re-use any previously unreleased information without having the consent from the ICB. Should you wish to re-use previously unreleased information then you must make your request in writing (email will suffice) to the FOI Lead via ddicb.foi@nhs.net. All requests for re-use will be responded to within 20 working days of receipt.