NHS Boards expenditure on private sector: FOI release

Information requested

1. The total value of contracts in place currently assigned to private healthcare providers by the Scottish National Health Service (SNHS). This will preferably include all NHS Boards within Scotland. This will comprise newly awarded contracts in 2019 and the value of contracts already in existence from prior years that are still in place currently.

2. The total spend by the SNHS on private healthcare providers in 2019. Again this will preferably include all NHS Boards within Scotland. An actualised total spend year to date would be appreciated as well as total projected spend by year end.

Response

1. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This information requested would be held within the NHS Health Boards. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. However, you may wish to contact individual Health Boards directly to request this information. The reasons why we do not have the information are explained in the Annex to this letter.

2. In 2018/19, NHS Boards spent £80.5 million on the private sector. The Scottish Government do not hold specific information on total projected spend by year end.

Annex - Reasons for not providing information
The Scottish Government does not have the information

Section 17(1) of FOISA (information not held) requires the Scottish Government to notify you if it does not have the information you requested. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because NHS Boards are responsible for the management of contracts with external providers.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.