Emergency Dental Services

Summary

A Freedom of Information request sought annual costs, practitioner breakdowns, and patient statistics for Isle of Man emergency dental services from 2012 to 2017. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed total annual costs and monthly patient attendance figures but refused requests for per-practitioner breakdowns and per-patient payment rates, citing that creating such data is not required under the Act.

Key Facts

• Emergency dental services are provided on a rotational basis by registered providers on weekends and bank holidays between 9am and 11am.
• The total cost for the service increased from £34,490.40 in 2012-2013 to £43,228.50 in 2014-2015 before dropping to £41,435.75 in 2015-2016.
• Dentists work from their own practices using their own staff, equipment, and materials for these emergency sessions.
• The authority refused to provide cost breakdowns by practice or per-patient payment amounts because doing so would require creating new information.
• Monthly data on the number of people calling versus the number of people seen was provided for the period January 2012 to October 2017.

Data Disclosed

• £34,490.40
• £38,142.50
• £43,228.50
• £41,435.75
• £22,090.00
• 2012-2013
• 2013-2014
• 2014-2015
• 2015-2016
• 2016-2017
• 9am - 11am
• 23 October 2017
• 18 November 2017

Exemptions Cited

• Information creation exemption: The Department is not required to create or derive information from existing data under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Data Tables (7)

Full Response Text

Department of Health and Social Care

Rheynn Slaynt as Kiarail y Theay

Page 1 of 4 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch By email:
Freedom of Information Team Department of Health & Social Care Chief Executive’s Office Crookall House Demesne Road Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 3QA Tel: Email: Website: Date: FOI Reference: (01624) 642621 foi.dhsc@gov.im www.gov.im/dhsc 18 November 2017 IM107-832i

Dear
REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2015 (“the Act”) Thank you for your request to the Department of Health and Social Care, dated 23 October 2017 Your request You asked for: EMERGENCY DENTAL SERVICES:
I understand that there is a set fee for this service and that the service is provided on a rotational basis, provided by registered providers.
Question 01: What has the annual cost for this service been (weekends and bank holidays) for the periods 2012 to date? Question 02: Can you please provide the annual cost breakdown for services provided by practice and or practitioner for the period 2012 to date? Question 03: Provide copies of the Annual Accounts for the running costs of the emergency dental services on the island from 2012 to date? Question 04: Provide a monthly breakdown of the number of dental emergencies, that have been treated by the emergency dental services from 2012 to date? Question 05: Provide the amount paid per patient emergency seen to the dentists for provision of this service. Which is run between the hours of 9am -11am on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays for the period 2012 to date?

Page 2 of 4 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01 Response to your request Question 01: What has the annual cost for this service been (weekends and bank holidays) for the periods 2012 to date?
We are pleased to be able to provide a response to Question 01 in the table below: - Financial Year Emergency Dental Service Cost 2012-2013 £34,490.40 2013-2014 £38,142.50 2014-2015 £43,228.50 2015-2016 £41,435.75 2016-2017 (to end of October 2017) £22,090.00

Question 02: Can you please provide the annual cost breakdown for services provided by practice and or practitioner for the period 2012 to date?
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance complying with your request for information would require the Department of Health and Social Care to create or derive information from information that it holds, which the Department is not required to do under the Act.
Question 03: Provide copies of the Annual Accounts for the running costs of the emergency dental services on the island from 2012 to date? In response to Question 03, the annual cost indicated in response to Question 01 above is the full cost of what the Department of Health and Social Care pays for the Out of Hours Emergency Dental Service. Each emergency dental clinic session (9am- 11am Sat/Sun & Bank Holidays) is paid to the dentist on duty who works from their own practice with their own staff, equipment and materials. Question 04: Provide a monthly breakdown of the number of dental emergencies that have been treated by the emergency dental services from 2012 to date? We are pleased to be able to provide a response to your request to Question 04 in the able below:

Page 3 of 4 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01 Month
No. of People Who Called No. of People Seen

Month
No. of People Who Called No. of People Seen Jan-12 52 41

Jan-15 63 63 Feb-12 48 48 Feb-15 44 40 Mar-12 71 62

Mar-15 40 36 Apr-12 95 95 Apr-15 81 81 May-12 83 76 May-15 93 86 Jun-12 96 78 Jun-15 64 48 Jul-12 96 96 Jul-15 64 56 Aug-12 64 64 Aug-15 74 68 Sep-12 69 66 Sep-15 71 63 Oct-12 59 57

Oct-15 62 52 Nov-12 62 46 Nov-15 64 63 Dec-12 110 110 Dec-15 76 67 Jan-13 48 39 Jan-16 68 67 Feb-13 71 56

Feb-16 48 40 Mar-13 76 74 Mar-16 66 62 Apr-13 54 54 Apr-16 54 54 May-13 78 78 May-16 75 62 Jun-13 74 69 Jun-16 57 53 Jul-13 51 44 Jul-16 78 78 Aug-13 65 52 Aug-16 60 57 Sep-13 58 58 Sep-16 56 55 Oct-13 40 20 Oct-16 64 52 Nov-13 40 40 Nov-16 39 33 Dec-13 87 87 Dec-16 70 59 Jan-14 51 51 Jan-17 83 54 Feb-14 62 53 Feb-17 65 48 Mar-14 62 50 Mar-17 47 36 Apr-14 71 66 Apr-17 97 78 May-14 84 72 May-17 71 65 Jun-14 79 65 Jun-17 60 52 Jul-14 68 62 Jul-17 82 75 Aug-14 86 72 Aug-17 73 60 Sep-14 64 61 Sep-17 79 60 Oct-14 41 41 Nov-14 52 47 Dec-14 70 64

Question 05: Provide the amount paid per patient emergency seen to the dentists for provision of this service. Which is run between the hours of 9am -11am on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays for the period 2012 to date? While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance complying with your request for information would require the Department of Health and Social Care to create or derive information from information that it holds, which the Department is not required to do under the Act.

Page 4 of 4 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01 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 to the FOI Co-ordinator, Department of Health & Social Care, Chief Executive’s Officer, Crookall House, Demesne Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3QA. An electronic version and paper version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/how-to- make-a-freedom-of-information-request/ . 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; 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.
   Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at: www.inforights.im/information-centre/freedom-of-information. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours Sincerely

Freedom of Information Team Department of Health and Social Care