Video surveillance and Technology

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Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.037749

I note you seek access to the following information:

Does the Met Police currently use Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or "technology enabled vital signs monitoring" within any custody suites?
Where is this technology located (ie which police stations)
(Question 3 appears to be omitted)
Copies of leaflets or information sheets related to Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring in custody suites
Your organisation’s Equality Impact Assessments in relation to Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring.
Your organisation’s risk assessment in relation Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring in custody suites.
Your organisation’s operational and organisational policies and procedures relating to Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring, including details of consent.
Details of which services have the ability to use Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring in custody suites.
Details about the decision-making process relating to adopting Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring in custody suites.
Records of any training provided in using this technology.
Details of where footage / information is stored
Any Data Protection Impact Assessments for Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring.

CLARIFICATION -

Yes I am interested in the use of these systems in custody suites specifically. I am also mainly interested in the use of Oxevision/Oxehealth so perhaps to streamline the request you would be able to focus on Oxevision specifically?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose some of the requested information. Some data has been withheld as it is exempt from disclosure and therefore this response serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 43(2) - Commercial Interests

Reason for decision

At your questions 7 and 12 you have asked us to disclose our operational and organisational policies and procedures, and Data Protection Impact Assessments, relating to Oxehealth/Oxevision.

Please be advised that this information is commercially sensitive and Section 43(2) of the Act, which provides an exemption for commercial interests has therefore been applied to refuse disclosure of information in response to those questions.

Section 43(2) – Commercial Interests - Section 43(2) allows public authorities to withhold information if it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person, including the public authority.

Negotiating position - The information requested has been used as part of commercial competition and discussions, making this data commercially sensitive. To release all the requested information into the public domain would prejudice and thus damage the MPS’ bargaining and negotiating power with suppliers in relation to future competition for this contract.

In addition to this, the release of the requested information could harm relationships with existing suppliers. The National Police Chiefs Council argues that ‘companies compete by offering something different from their rivals. The difference will often be reflected in their price and may also relate to the quality or specification of the product or service they offer.’ The release of all the request information would indeed supply some of the specifics of the service offered and provide an advantage to one company over another and would therefore prejudice the commercial interests of suppliers.

It is worth noting that information that is made available under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is published by the MPS via the publication scheme, making it readily available to the public, and not just the individual making the request. This is significant, as even if there is a public interest that would be satisfied by the release of all the requested information this must be balanced against any identified risk. I have identified that the release of all of the requested data would illuminate two areas, firstly it provides a better understanding of the decision making process and secondly, it provides a better understanding of how public funds are spent. These are two important factors favouring disclosure.

Conversely, I have found that the release of the requested information would damage the MPS’ negotiating power with suppliers in future. One of the strong public interest arguments against disclosure is to ensure a competitive process with no commercial bias. Ultimately, the MPS would not want to provide infomartion that would have a negative impact upon the MPS’s ability to achieve best value in future procurement processes in this area. Nor would the MPS wish to prejudice our suppliers. I find this to be the significant factor in refusing to disclose these parts of your request.

I have considered the harm that could be caused to the commercial interests of the MPS, and its suppliers.

When weighing up the public interest factors I have found that the main consideration favouring disclosure lies in transparency, in the information we release to the public, and showing what public money is being spent on. However, this does not outweigh the potential harm that such a release would have on our commercial interests, and those of our suppliers.

Any disclosure of information which could impact so detrimentally on our commercial interests, or those of our suppliers, could never be in the public interest. Furthermore, I believe that the public interest has been served by the disclosure of information that has been disclosed in this case.

After weighing up the competing interests I have determined that the disclosure of the information we have withheld in this case, would not be in the public interest. I consider that the benefit that would result from the information being disclosed does not outweigh the considerations favouring non-disclosure, namely the negative impact on the commercial interests of both the supplier and the MPS as a public authority.

Disclosure

Q1 - Does the Met Police currently use Oxehealth/Oxevision within any custody suites?

The MPS currently have a pilot project using Oxevision.

Q2 - Where is this technology located (ie which police stations)

Wood Green Custody Suite has Oxevision installed for the pilot project.

Q3 - (Question 3 appears to be omitted).

Q4 - Copies of leaflets or information sheets related to Oxehealth/Oxevision in custody suites

No information held.

Q5 - Your organisation’s Equality Impact Assessments in relation to Oxehealth/Oxevision.

No Information is held because we are currently in pilot project phase. This will be considered at implementation phase.

Q6 - Your organisation’s risk assessment in relation Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring in custody suites.

The pilot project included a review of the risks of using this additional equipment can be seen below.

Number	RISK	IMPACT	LxS	MITIGATION
1	HCP on duty has not received training on OSV	HCP may not be able to use OVS	3x3=9	Training all regular HCP who work at Wood Green Train all Senior HCP who act as Bronze 24/7, Train all Clinical Managers.
2	Insufficient numbers of DP are selected to use OVS	Inadequate data for evaluation	3x4=12	Awareness raising Senior HCP (Bronze) on duty check in at the start during handover of the shift to see which DP could be included in OVS Check shift audit form to monitor number of DP included in audit
3	Clinical protocols for the use of OVS are not followed	Governance risk for the DP, project and HCP May also be a learning point to update the protocols	3x4=12	Phone call to support HCP in use of protocols HCP to send email to project leads if a variation from protocol occurs
4	Unable to record OVS as DP covered fully with blanket / moving	Cannot use OVS to compliment HCP care	3x3=9	Record on audit sheet to track reasons / frequency HCP to revert to manual recording of vital signs
5	Frequent false alarms from Oxehealth movement detection system	Additional staff workload	3x3=9	Keep a log of errors / alarms Check for basic system errors e.g. moisture on the optical device
6	OVS measurements wildly different from manual HCP recording of vital signs	Inaccurate signs of deteriorating patient / false alarms / and unnecessary HCP review of patient	2x2=4	HCP to review patient and decide if OVS is suitable for use with this case Record on daily audit sheet
7	Ventilation, temperature or lighting changes in cell cause OVS not to work correctly	Unable to use OVS in specific cell	3x3=9	HCP to review patient and decide if OVS is suitable for use with this cell status Record on daily audit sheet

Q7 - Your organisation’s operational and organisational policies and procedures relating to Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring, including details of consent.

As outlined in the Reasons for Decision section, this information is exempt from disclosure.

Q8 - Details of which services have the ability to use Oxehealth/ Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring in custody suites.

This is only in one custody suite as part of a pilot project.

Q9 - Details about the decision-making process relating to adopting Oxehealth/Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring in custody suites.

The project is in pilot phase, once this is complete MPS will review the project report. The system is being considered as part of new technology to reduce risk and increase safety in Police Custody Suites. This will require a full business case and management board approval prior to procurement of a system.

Q10 - Records of any training provided in using this technology.

All total of 64 staff, using Oxevision in the pilot project, have received training.

Q11 - Details of where footage / information is stored.

There is a local server.

Q12 - Any Data Protection Impact Assessments for Oxehealth/ Oxevision or any other video surveillance or technology enabled vital signs monitoring.

As outlined in the Reasons for Decision section, this information is exempt from disclosure.

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Video surveillance and Technology

Decision