SARs, FOIs, Complaints & Litigation Requests

Subject Access Requests (SARs), Freedom of Information Requests (FOIs), Complaints and Litigation requests are all handled under different sets of rules. However, the underlying task is typically the same: finding the right information, reviewing it and returning it to the requester within a set deadline.

Many organisations still manage requests through emails, spreadsheets and legacy systems, which makes progress and performance difficult to track, especially as volumes grow.

This post sets out what each request type requires and how the AMS Digital Request Portal can streamline each process, saving valuable time, improving compliance and providing a smoother experience for request handling.

Subject Access Requests (SARs) & Access to Health Records (ATH, ATHR)

A Subject Access Request (SAR) is a request from an individual for a copy of the personal data an organisation holds about them and must normally be answered within one calendar month.

Key benefits of the AMS Request Management Portal for the SAR process include:

• Capture, track, and manage all request types with automatic breach date calculations giving you and the team full transparency over every request and real control over the process.
• Cross department collaboration, enabling your team to securely collaborate with other teams such as Radiology, HR, or Litigation to contribute to the request. The benefit is one portal for all secure communication with colleagues and the requester and additional functionality, such as automated reminders.
• Secure digital disclosure, cutting costs associated with printing and postage and providing a full audit trail end to end.

Radiology images in SAR Requests

Radiology requests can be integrated with SAR/ATH requests.

With the optional PACS module, the AMS Request Management Portal (also known as the AMS SAR Portal) enables teams to query PACS servers directly and retrieve DICOM/Radiology images for secure disclosure alongside other requested files. Key benefits include:

• Collaboration with Radiology, allowing tasks to be assigned and managed across multiple departments within one portal, saving time and cost associated with the process.
• Additional cost savings and reduced complaints by removing the need for antiquated physical media when sharing images outside of IEP.
• The ability to segment and analyse Radiology related requests through the built in filters in the reporting engine, enabling the team to have a true understanding of volumes and workload.

Freedom of information requests (FOIs)

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request asks a public body for recorded information it holds. The public sector organisation normally has 20 working days to respond to the request.

With the AMS Request Management Portal, FOI teams can:

• Manage lists of questions sent to multiple internal recipients and capture responses, exceptions and exemptions, collaborating in an efficient way, speeding up the process.
• Collaborate internally through task assignment and automated chasing with built in templates.
• Respond directly to requestors from within the portal and publish outcomes to a disclosure log.

Complaints

Complaints can cause a lot of stress on an organisation, especially if they are not handled in a controlled or efficient way. The portal can be integrated to help organisations manage complaints more efficiently and securely, and with far less stress.

With the portal, complaints teams can:

• Escalate cases quickly and easily, helping teams respond promptly and consistently.
• Collect evidence and supporting files, including documents, audio and video, from internal and external sources, all within a single system.
• Disclose responses securely, with no file size limitations and no need for workarounds like splitting emails.
• Report on the complaints process, with a full audit trail.

Litigation requests

Litigation requests can be complex, sensitive and time consuming.

The AMS Request Management Portal provides a dedicated, secure workflow for them. With the portal, teams can:

• Capture litigation requests digitally and securely, removing the need to copy information from emails into other systems.
• Collaborate with in house legal teams and external legal partners, all within one secure platform improving the tracking and traceability of each case.
• Disclose files securely and maintain full visibility through the built in audit trail.
• Full reporting capability through the portal's built in report engine.

Reporting and data retention

The AMS Request Management Portal offers built in KPI reporting, giving clear visibility of performance, deadlines and compliance, with a dashboard of reports generated from data in the portal, reducing time that would typically be spent on Excel. The portal also provides a full audit trail of the request process, end to end. Teams can automate the deletion of different file types within different types of requests.

Results after AMS Digital Request Portal implementation

Using the portal for SAR, FOI, Litigation, Complaints and other similar processes has provided customers with a 45 to 60 minute saving per request, with approximately £3,000 saved per month for the average customer. At Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, the portal saves 45 minutes per SAR, and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton saw a 90% reduction in time-scale breaches.

If you are reviewing how your organisation handles information requests, we would love to hear about your requirement. Our team will be able to advise on the right fit for you.