GP / Meds

Summary

The request sought contracts, cost breakdowns, and complaint statistics for the Manx Emergency Doctors Service (MEDS) from 2014 to 2018. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the contract template, detailed financial costs for GPs and locums, and specific complaint data for the requested periods.

Key Facts

• Contracts exist between MEDS and individual General Practitioners for out-of-hours work.
• Total costs for MEDS GPs and Locum GPs were provided for financial years 2014/15 through 2017/18.
• Seven specific complaints were recorded against MEDS during the 2014-2015 financial year.
• Five complaints were recorded against MEDS during the 2017-2018 period prior to the official report publication.
• Complaint data for 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 was provided via a public link and attached document rather than direct text.

Data Disclosed

• 2014-04-04
• 2018-04-23
• 419935
• £569,837.50
• £123,883.01
• £693,720.51
• £693,132.50
• £1,577.80
• £694,710.30
• £685,832.50
• £710,536.40
• £11,807.00
• £722,343.40
• 7 complaints
• 5 complaints
• 2% pay increase

Original Request

1) Are there contracts between Meds and the GPs on the island who work at Meds out of hours. If so, please provide copies of the contracts. 2) Please provide the total cost for GPs who work at Meds and the total cost of Locum GPs who work at Meds, broken down by the financial years from 2014 to date (eg. 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017 to date). 3) Please provide the total number and types of complaints made against the Meds service, broken down by the financial years from 2014 to date (eg. 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017 to date).

Data Tables (6)

Full Response Text

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch Freedom of Information Team DHSC Digital Cronk Coar Strang IM4 4RJ

(01624) 642621 dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc

Our ref: 419935 23 April 2018

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 4 April 2018 and which states:

"1) Are there contracts between Meds and the GPs on the island who work at Meds out of hours. If so, please provide copies of the contracts. 2) Please provide the total cost for GPs who work at Meds and the total cost of Locum GPs who work at Meds, broken down by the financial years from 2014 to date (eg. 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017 to date). 3) Please provide the total number and types of complaints made against the Meds service, broken down by the financial years from 2014 to date (eg. 2014-2015, 2015- 2016, 2016-2017, 2017 to date)."

Our response to your request is as follows: I have detailed below the information that is being released to you. Question 01: Are there contracts between Meds and the GPs on the island who work at Meds out of hours. If so, please provide copies of the contracts. Please find the Department’s response to Question 01: There are contracts between the MEDS (Manx Emergency Doctors Service) and individual General Practitioners (GPs). A copy of the contract is attached as Appendix 1. Question 02: Please provide the total cost for GPs who work at Meds and the total cost of Locum GPs who work at Meds, broken down by the financial years from 2014 to date (eg. 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017 to date). Please find the Department’s response to Question 02: The tables below show the total cost of GP’s and the total cost of Locum GP’s who work at MEDS broken down into each financial year for 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017 to date:-

2014/2015 Cost MEDS GP Total £569,837.50 Locum GP Total £123,883.01 TOTAL YEAR £693,720.51 2015/2016 Cost MEDS GP Total £693,132.50 Locum GP Total £1,577.80 TOTAL YEAR £694,710.30 2016/2017 Cost MEDS GP Total £685,832.50 Locum GP Total £0.00 TOTAL YEAR £685,832.50 2017/2018 Cost NB (2% pay increase 1.4.18) MEDS GP Total £710,536.40 Locum GP Total £11,807.00 TOTAL YEAR £722,343.40 Question 03: Please provide the total number and types of complaints made against the Meds service, broken down by the financial years from 2014 to date (eg. 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017 to date). Please find the Department’s response to Question 03: There were 7 complaints made against the MEDS service during 2014-2015. The table below shows the reasons for the complaints as they are not listed in the Tynwald Report:- Service Date Reason for Complaint MEDS Apr-14 Home Visit Refusal MEDS Jul-14 Lack of Treatment MEDS Jul-14 Unhappy with GP Response MEDS Nov-14 Dr Refused to attend Care Home MEDS Jan-15 Care Delivery MEDS Feb-15 Misdiagnosis MEDS Feb-15 Misdiagnosis The information for the financial years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 is accessible to the requestor via other means. However, for the purpose of assisting the requestor and rather than applying an exemption, the link to this information is below and the document has also been attached (Appendix 2). https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/health-and-social- care/complaints-and-compliments/

The complaints report for 2017-2018 has not yet been published however, please see the below table for the number of complaints received for MEDS for 2017-2018:- Service Date Reason for Complaint MEDS Apr-17 Attitude and Care MEDS Apr-17 Attitude and Care MEDS Dec-17 Attitude of Doctor MEDS Jan-18 Isolation of North of Island MEDS Jan-18 Clinical Treatment

Please quote the reference number 419935 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 to us at
Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch Freedom of Information Team DHSC Digital Cronk Coar Strang IM4 4RJ

(01624) 642621 dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc

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