Request
1. Please state the highest hourly rate paid to an agency nurse in your trust in the past six months (i.e. from May to October 2009 inclusive) and for each month please state the position in which the agency nurse paid the highest hourly rate was employed.
2. Please state the highest hourly rate paid to an agency doctor in your trust in the past six months (i.e. from May to October 2009 inclusive) and for each month please state the position in which the agency doctor paid the highest hourly rate was employed.
3. Please state the highest hourly rate paid to an agency worker in a non-medical and non-nursing position in your trust in the past six months (i.e. from May to October 2009 inclusive) and for each month please state the position in which the agency staff worker paid the highest hourly rate was employed.
4. If known, please state for the hourly rate given under questions1-3 for each month, how much the agency worker received and how much was retained by the agency.
Our Response
I refer to your email requesting information in respect of agency staff pay.
I can confirm in accordance with S.1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do hold some of the information that you have requested. However, I should point out that NHS East Midlands is a Strategic Health Authority and not a Trust. We do not hold the information requested in respect of questions 1 and 2.
The information that you have requested in respect of question 3, the highest hourly rate paid to an agency worker in a non-medical and non-nursing position, relates to less than 5 members of staff and is therefore exempt from disclosure under Section 40 of the FOIA. Section 40 of the FOIA is an absolute exemption relating to Personal Information, the purpose of which is to protect personally identifiable information and the privacy of living persons.
However, NHS East Midlands normally appoints agency staff under the PASA agreement. We can hire any temporary staff in all Agenda for Change bands for one-off or specialist jobs.
I have attached for your information a list of Band scales and rates charged and paid to workers from the relevant agency . Bandings range from 1- 9.
I hope that this information is of use to you. If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request you can write to:-
Mr Kevin Orford
Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance
NHS East Midlands
Octavia House
Interchange Business Park
Bostock's Lane
Sandiacre
Nottingham
NG10 5QG
If at the conclusion of any review you remain dissatisfied you may complain to the Information Commissioner who can be contacted at:-
The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
(Please contact the SHA if you require sight of any of the attachments mentioned above).
