The number of midwives that have left the National Health Service (NHS) within the last 12 months/5 years: FOI release

Information requested

• How many Midwives have resigned/quit/retired/left/terminated their employment with NHS Lothian within the last 12months/5years? Not including bank only staff.
•  Whether reasons are captured at government or local level for their resignations?
• How many Midwives should be employed in NHS Lothian, versus how many are actually employed.

Response

Some of the information you have requested on the number of staff leaving NHS posts is available from NHS Education for Scotland's official NHS Workforce statistics: (please see Turnover tab, filters for Board and job family).

Data on the current number of midwifery vacancies and staff in post within NHS Lothian is also available from this publication (Vacancy tab, Board and sub job family filter). Please note that this details the number of unfilled posts reported by NHS Lothian – the responsibility for determining the number of midwives required at local level belongs to individual Health Boards.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested, on the reasons for staff leaving post. The Scottish Government does not hold information on individual staff resignations or terminations because the treatment of staff and employment matters are a contractual issue and remain, by law, between an employee and their respective employer, in this case the individual Health Board.

Therefore, you may wish to contact NHS Lothian to request the information they hold. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have all of 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.