Publication - FOI/EIR release

Correspondence with NHS Borders: FOI release

Published: 29 January 2018
Directorate: Health Workforce Directorate
Topic: Health and social care, Public sector

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

FOI reference: FOI/17/01791
Date received: 3 August 2017
Date responded: 12 January 2018

Information requested

Please provide a copy of any correspondence between the Scottish Government and NHS Borders in July 2017.
Did any representative from the Scottish Government have a meeting with NHS Borders staff in that month, and if so what was discussed?

Response

In relation to part 2 of your request, below is the list of meetings you requested and what was discussed.

Meeting	Date	Discussion
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	5 July	Scheduling & pre-operative assessment processes.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	6 July	Improvement approach to a project.
Advanced Practice Group	6 July	Data collection, training, mentoring and sub group reports.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	10 July	Real-time schedule tool.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	10 July	Advice and guidance on variability methodology.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	12 July	Project reporting / project update.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	17 July	Smoothing session as part of improvement project.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	17 July	Providing advice and guidance on variability methodology.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	19 July	Seeking an understanding of pre-operative assessment processes.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	19 July	Process issues with re-engineering theatre project.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	20 July	Seeking advice on lung cancer pathway for SG National Team.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	24 July	Understanding of orthopaedic pre-operative assessment pathways.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	24 July	Re-engineering theatre project.
Primary Care Leads	26 July	No note available.
Nursing, Midwifery & Acute Services	26 July	Strategic clinical network audits and clinical governance.
SG Finance and NHS Directors of Finance	27 July	Finance updates.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	28 July	Emergency C-section data.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	28 July	Project progress and next steps.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	31 July	Introduction to variability methodology and structure of the project.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	31 July	Progress against project plan and next steps.
SG Quality & Efficiency Support + NHS Borders	31 July	Project team meeting covering variability methodology for re-engiengineering theatres and smoothing in-patient flow.

While While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance some information has been withheld because exemptions under section 30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views), 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) and section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA apply to that information. The reasons why those exemptions apply are explained below.

Reasons for not providing information

An exemption Applies.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information because it is the personal data of third parties, i.e. names and contact details, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998. An exemption applied under section 25(i) as it related to information that is publically available. These exemptions are not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

An Exemption Applies - Subject to the Public Interest Test.

An exemption under section 30(b)(ii) of FOISA (free and frank exchange of views) applies to a small amount of the redacted information. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to inhibit substantially the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation. This exemption recognises the need for Scottish Government officials to have a private space within which to discuss issues and options with external stakeholders.

An exemption under section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) applies to some information about waiting time statistics supplied by Boards to the Scottish Government. These preliminary figures were given to the Scottish Government for the purposes of day-to-day management and monitoring. Final confirmed statistics were published subsequently at: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Waiting-Times/Publications/2016-11-29/IPDC_Nov16.xlsx.

Disclosing the preliminary unconfirmed figures is likely to cause confusion and misunderstanding, which would constitute substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs in terms of the exemption.

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