Cost of nurses, admin, waiting periods

Summary

A Freedom of Information request to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care sought data on departmental costs, staff vacancies, and joint replacement waiting times. The authority disclosed estimated and actual costs, specific vacancy numbers for medical staff, and waiting periods, but withheld exact administrative headcounts and procedure costs due to lack of data or excessive compilation effort.

Key Facts

• Estimated costs for the first six months were £100,512,000, while actual costs were £104,336,000.
• There were 36 doctor vacancies (including 15 consultants) and 62 nurse vacancies, with no paramedic vacancies.
• The current waiting time for hip, knee, and other joint replacements is 22 weeks.
• Exact numbers of administrative staff employed in the hospital were not held, though Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) figures were provided.
• The cost of carrying out joint replacements was withheld as it would require substantial compilation of information.

Data Disclosed

• £100,512,000
• £104,336,000
• 36
• 15
• 62
• 22 weeks
• 11.88 WTE
• 14.38 WTE
• 2017-10-28
• 2017-12-18

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held or cannot be found after reasonable steps (Question 04)
• Substantial compilation or collation of information (Question 06)

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Health and Social Care

Rheynn Slaynt as Kiarail y Theay

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch

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 19 December 2017 IM108-539i

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 28 October 2017

Your request You asked for: Question 01: “What was your estimate of the costs incurred by the Department for the first 6 months?” Question 02: “What has been the actual costs incurred in the first 6 months by the Department?”
Question 03: “How many existing posts for nurses, doctors, consultants, junior doctors and paramedic posts are currently vacant?” Question 04: “How many admin staff are employed in the Hospital?”
Question 05: “What are the current waiting period for hip, knee and other joint replacement?” Question 06: “What is the cost to the dept of carrying out a hip, knee and other joint replacement?”

Response to your request We are pleased to be able to provide a response to your request with answers to your questions:

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Question 01: What was your estimate of the costs incurred by the Department for the first 6 months? In response to Question 01, the estimated costs incurred by the Department in the first six months was £100,512,000.
Question 02: What has been the actual costs incurred in the first 6 months by the Department? In response to Question 02, the actual costs incurred by the Department for the first six months was £104,336,000.
Question 03: How many existing posts for nurses, doctors, consultants, junior doctors and paramedic posts are currently vacant? Please find the Department’s response to Question 03 The payroll records show there are 36 doctor vacancies made up of 15 consultant posts, 1 fellow and 19 doctors and 1 junior doctor. There are 62 nurse vacancies and no paramedic vacancies. This changes on a regular basis as the Department is continually recruiting and staff are leaving.

Question 04: How many admin staff are employed in the Hospital?
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department of Health and Social Care does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. However, we do hold the number of “whole time equivalent” posts (“WTEs”) for the administrative staff held at Noble’s Hospital which you may find useful; please see the table below: Administrative Staff Grade Numbers of “Whole Time Equivalent” or “WTE” Posts Administrative Assistants 11.88 WTE Administrative Officers 14.38 WTE

Question 05: What are the current waiting period for hip, knee and other joint replacement? In response to Question 05, the current waiting time for joint replacements is 22 weeks.
Question 06: What is the cost to the dept of carrying out a hip, knee and other joint replacement? 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 undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds, which the Department is not required to do under the Act.

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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

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