Complaints and credentials - Scheduled Care at Nobles

Summary

The requester asked for employment dates, qualifications, and background history of doctors in specific specialties at Nobles Hospital since 2010. The Department of Health and Social Care provided lists of clinicians but withheld specific employment dates for historic records and all qualification/background data due to practical refusal exemptions.

Key Facts

• The request covered doctors in Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Urology, Obstetrics, and Gynaecology from 2010 to June 2020.
• Two spreadsheets were provided containing clinician lists drawn from the PIP and Oracle systems.
• Start and end employment dates could not be provided for 145 doctors listed in the historic Oracle report.
• Qualifications and professional background information were withheld as the authority does not hold or compile separate listings for these.
• The request was ultimately marked as lapsed with information not fully provided.

Data Disclosed

• 145 doctors
• 35 doctors
• 2010
• 30/06/2020
• 01/01/2010
• 24th July 2020
• 30th June 2020

Exemptions Cited

• Section 11(3)(b) - Information not held or would require creation/derivation of data
• Section 11(3)(a) - Practical refusal reason: information not held or cannot be found after reasonable steps

Original Request

Please can you detail the start and end of employment dates, qualifications, and background information of all doctors who worked for DHSC between 2010 and the present day who specialise in the lower gastro-intestinal area. For clarity, this would include all clinicians as currently listed on the Noble's Hospital website in the Scheduled Care areas of: Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Urology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Clarification sought: Can you please specify what you mean by ".....background information of all doctors who worked for DHSC between 2010 and the present day..." Clarification received: 'Background information' would include their professional history and achievements prior to arrival- when new doctors are announced locally, this information is often published in the press (e.g came from x hospital, trained at y hospital, had papers published in z journal, etc.) Further clarification sought: In order to identify and locate the information that you have asked for we need some further information from you. In particular, it would be helpful to know when you refer to doctors employed by Nobles Hospital do you mean: 1. All doctors currently employed at Nobles Hospital who were engaged after 2010 with a special interest in lower-gastro-intestinal areas. or 2. All doctors engaged since 2010 including those currently employed at Nobles Hospital with a special interest in lower-gastro intestinal areas. Further Clarification received: 'The latter would be the case - any doctor in the fields set out, irrespective of their current employment status, from 2010 onwards. As you will know, there has been high turnover in these fields, so it is unlikely that many relevant clinicians have stayed the course.'

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

ORACLE - Clinicians employed since 2010

PiP Clinicians employed since 2010

Interim Chief Executive: Kathryn Magson Freedom of Information Team Crookall House Demesne Road Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3QA

Tel: (01624) 642621 Email: dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc Our ref: 1349443 24th July 2020

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on the 30th June 2020. Your request: Please can you detail for all doctors and clinicians working for Nobles in the care areas of Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Urology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology between 01/01/2010 to the 30/06/20 the following: 1. The start and end date of their employment 2. Their qualifications held 3. Background information e.g. professional history and achievements

I have detailed below the information that is held. Our response: We are pleased to be able to provide a response to your request with answers to some of your questions; and while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested. The reasons and statutory exemption sections are shown as part of the corresponding answers below. Question 1: The start and end date of their employment. Complying with the request for information would require the public authority to do one or more of the matters mentioned in section 8(3) (things a public authority is not required to do by the Act S11(3)(b). While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, complying with your request for information would require us to create or derive information from information that we hold. The two attached spreadsheets show the clinicians previously and currently employed in the areas of Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Urology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The information on these has been drawn from PIP (People Information

Programme the new electronic HR and Payroll system) from its date of inception and Oracle from the 1st January 2010 until Oracle records ceased. Specialist trainees have been included in the lists. The Oracle report indicates that 145 doctors were employed in the period but it is not possible to give their dates of employment due to the reporting functionality available for historic data. Some people were re-employed since 1st January 2010 and unfortunately it isn’t possible to extract their start and leaving dates without looking at each individual. The spreadsheet shows the number of individuals involved making up the 145 employment episodes. The PIP report shows 35 doctors having been employed and the data shows the start and end dates for each person in the position reported on (i.e. they may have additional bank positions which start or finish before or after their substantive post but bank posts are usually generic and do not indicate a speciality or area in the post title). Questions 2 & 3 Their qualifications held and Background information e.g. professional history and achievements. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Department of Health and Social Care (“the Department”) is unable to provide the information you have requested. This is in line with section 11(3)a of the Act, as a practical refusal reason applies; namely we do not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. Regarding qualifications all employees meet the minimum for their role and we do not hold or compile separate listings for these.
Background information on an individual may be available in the public domain. Please quote the reference number 1349443 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
   In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely