FOI-03715

<p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;ac0262f4-8a9e-5820-b908-2d943c5f7113|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342446,&quot;1&quot;,201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,201342449,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Calibri&quot;,469777842,&quot;Arial&quot;,469777843,&quot;Calibri&quot;,469777844,&quot;Calibri&quot;,201341986,&quot;1&quot;,469769226,&quot;Calibri,Arial&quot;,268442635,&quot;22&quot;,469775450,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}">Request</span></span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><em><span data-contrast="auto">Could you confirm that Dr Anup Mathew is one of the ten doctors who prescribes half&nbsp;all private&nbsp;cannabis following the story in The Times today which is based on&nbsp;an your&nbsp;response to an FOI request by The Times?</span></em><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><em><span data-contrast="auto">Assuming Dr Mathew is one of the ten could you also confirm the names of the other nine prescribing doctors responsible for prescribing half of all private cannabis?</span></em><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><em><span data-contrast="auto">Failing that could you name the private medical cannabis clinics responsible for prescribing half of all private medical cannabis.</span></em><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on&nbsp;30&nbsp;March 2026</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000</span><strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">(FOIA).&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">We wrote to you on 30 April 2026 to let you know that we&nbsp;required an extension&nbsp;to consider the public interest test&nbsp;as exemptions apply to the requested information.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun">Our response</span></span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">We&nbsp;can confirm that the NHSBSA&nbsp;holds&nbsp;prescriber information, including name,&nbsp;prescriber&nbsp;code, address and linked Integrated&nbsp;Care&nbsp;Board (ICB).&nbsp;&nbsp;However&nbsp;we&nbsp;consider&nbsp;this information&nbsp;to be&nbsp;exempt under section 40(2) and section 36 of the FOIA as detailed below.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">The NHSBSA does not hold clinic&nbsp;names.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="none">Section 40(2)- Personal information</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">The names of the ten&nbsp;prescribers&nbsp;is&nbsp;personal&nbsp;data&nbsp;of the prescribers as it would&nbsp;result in their identification.&nbsp;Personal data&nbsp;is&nbsp;exempt from disclosure under section 40(2) of the FOIA&nbsp;if&nbsp;its&nbsp;disclosure would contravene any of the data protection principles.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">To&nbsp;comply with&nbsp;the lawfulness, fairness, and transparency principle, we either need the consent of the data subjects or there must be a legitimate interest in disclosure. In addition, the disclosure must be necessary to meet the legitimate interest and finally, the disclosure must not cause unwarranted harm.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">As we do not have the consent of the data subjects, the NHSBSA&nbsp;is therefore required to&nbsp;conduct a balancing exercise between legitimate interest of the applicant in disclosure against the rights and freedoms of the data subjects.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">The NHSBSA acknowledges that&nbsp;there&nbsp;are public concerns&nbsp;surrounding private&nbsp;unlicenced&nbsp;cannabis prescribing. There is&nbsp;legitimate public interest in understanding&nbsp;that&nbsp;prescribing&nbsp;patterns are&nbsp;appropriate&nbsp;and that the sector is appropriately&nbsp;regulated&nbsp;and&nbsp;investigations conducted where necessary.&nbsp;Investigating bodies are able to access a wider range of data to support their investigation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">However,&nbsp;there is no expectation from prescribers that their information&nbsp;will be released into the public domain.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">The release of prescriber names&nbsp;into the public domain&nbsp;is not necessary&nbsp;to&nbsp;improve regulation or&nbsp;for regulators&nbsp;and/or&nbsp;organisations with monitoring and oversight responsibilities&nbsp;to&nbsp;carry out investigations. The public&nbsp;can already raise&nbsp;concerns without&nbsp;the need&nbsp;for&nbsp;names to be in the public domain. The NHSBSA does,&nbsp;and will continue to work&nbsp;with regulators&nbsp;and&nbsp;those with monitoring and oversight&nbsp;responsibilities&nbsp;to&nbsp;provide data&nbsp;to them&nbsp;where&nbsp;necessary and&nbsp;appropriate&nbsp;as&nbsp;requested by the&nbsp;relevant body.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The data that NHSBSA holds shows volumes of prescriptions issued by named prescribers.&nbsp;On its own the data we hold cannot provide any wider context about the prescribing and/or its appropriateness. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">We&nbsp;have concluded that disclosure of the requested information would&nbsp;not&nbsp;comply with&nbsp;the&nbsp;lawfulness,&nbsp;fairness&nbsp;and transparency principle&nbsp;as the requested information is not&nbsp;required&nbsp;to meet the legitimate interests and&nbsp;so&nbsp;would not be fair to prescribers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore&nbsp;section 40(2) is engaged.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">Please see the following link to view the section 40 exemption in full -&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40"><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-charstyle="Hyperlink">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40</span></span></a><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Section 36 &ndash; Prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The NHSBSA&nbsp;considers&nbsp;the information you have requested is exempt from disclosure&nbsp;under sections&nbsp;36(2)(b)(i),&nbsp;36(2)(b)(ii) and 36(2)(c) of the FOIA.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Section 36(2)(b)(i) &ndash; This is because disclosure would inhibit the&nbsp;free and frank provision of advice.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Section 36(2)(b)(ii) - This is because disclosure would inhibit the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Section 36(2)(c) -This is because disclosure would otherwise prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Section 36(2) of the FOIA requires the public authority to consult&nbsp;the&nbsp;relevant qualified person before the exemption is engaged. It further&nbsp;necessitates&nbsp;that the qualified person has the reasonable opinion that the&nbsp;prejudice&nbsp;referenced would or would be likely&nbsp;to,&nbsp;arise through disclosure.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The name of the qualified person in this case is Michael Brodie, NHSBSA CEO.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In the qualified person's opinion,&nbsp;sections&nbsp;36(2)b(i),&nbsp;36(2)(b)(ii) and (c) are engaged&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;prejudices&nbsp;would occur.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Section 36 of the FOIA 2000 is a qualified, prejudice-based exemption and is subject to the public interest test. This means that&nbsp;in order for&nbsp;the information to be withheld, the public interest in&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;the exemption must outweigh the exemption in disclosure.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Public interest test</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Considerations in favour of disclosure:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">10 prescribers have between them prescribed half of all private cannabis prescriptions between 1 January 2019- 31 December 2025.  </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">There are patient safety concerns regarding the appropriateness of private unlicenced cannabis prescribing. There is therefore public interest in understanding who the prescribers are and whether prescribing is appropriate.  </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">There is legitimate interest in understanding how the sector is regulated and that regulation is effective. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Considerations against disclosure:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">There is an inherent public interest in allowing free and frank discussion and/or the exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">There is an inherent public interest in&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;the effective conduct of public affairs</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">The public can already raise&nbsp;concerns without&nbsp;the need for names to be in the public domain. The NHSBSA&nbsp;does, and&nbsp;will continue to work with&nbsp;regulators and&nbsp;those with monitoring and oversight responsibilities&nbsp;to provide data to them where necessary and&nbsp;appropriate&nbsp;as&nbsp;requested by the relevant body.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">The data that NHSBSA holds shows volumes of prescriptions issued by named prescribers.&nbsp;On its own the data we hold cannot provide any wider context about the prescribing and/or its appropriateness.&nbsp;As part of an investigation,&nbsp;the investigating body will be able to access&nbsp;a&nbsp;wider range of data to&nbsp;support their investigation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs&nbsp;(ACMD)&nbsp;has been commissioned to undertake a review of the&nbsp;use and availability of&nbsp;cannabis based&nbsp;products for medicinal use.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Conclusion:</span></strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">We recognise that there is a public interest in the disclosure of information which&nbsp;would&nbsp;contribute to&nbsp;public understanding of private unlicenced cannabis prescribing&nbsp;however, there is also a public interest in the&nbsp;public authorities&nbsp;having the space to have free and frank discussions and/or the exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation without fear of disclosure into the public domain.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">There is also the inherent public interest in ensuring the effective conduct of public affairs.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Having undertaken the balancing exercise, we have concluded that the weight afforded to the public interest in&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Please see the below web link to see the exemption in full.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/36"><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-charstyle="Hyperlink">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/36</span></span></a><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>

Tags: Licenced Cannabis
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log