Request
Dear East Midlands Strategic Health Authority,
after looking at your website, I would like to request details of bonus payments to Director for 2008/9.
I see that 2007/8 is there, but not 2008/9. Can you tell me if any other staff other than Directors were paid bonuses in 2008/9.
Can you please tell me what the benefits in kind relate to in your 2008/9 Annual report.
The NHS Manual of accounts states in 2.50 that the Remuneration Report will contain the following information where relevant:
(d) Explanation of relative importance of the relevant proportions of remuneration which are, and which are not, subject to performance conditions.
Do you have details showing why there is no explanation in your 2008/9 Annual Report, when there are NHS organisations that list the details of bonus payments as a separate table below the remuneration report?
In your Related Party disclosures, Miss Burnett had a contract with Fresh Communications and the SHA spent £1,125 with this company. Was Miss Burnett involved in the project that the £1,125 was spent on?
Were quotations obtained for this work carried out by Fresh Communications?
The contract with TMP Worldwide for £66,602, were tenders received for this contract? Which companies bid for this contract?
For work spent with ATM Consultancy of £11.500, which SHA Department paid for this work? Were quotations or tenders obtained, do you have a list of companies who bid?
I did not see a copy of your Directors Register of Interests on your website, can you please send me a copy.
Our Response
I refer to your email requesting information in respect of NHS East Midlands expenses.
I can confirm in accordance with S.1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do hold most of the information that you have requested.
I will address each of your points in turn:
After looking at your website, I would like to request details of bonus payments to Director for 2008/9. I see that 2007/8 is there, but not 2008/9. Can you tell me if any other staff other than Directors were paid bonuses in 2008/9.
Can you please tell me what the benefits in kind relate to in your 2008/9 Annual report.
The NHS Manual of accounts states in 2.50 that the Remuneration Report will contain the following information where relevant:
(d) Explanation of relative importance of the relevant proportions of remuneration which are, and which are not, subject to performance conditions.
Do you have details showing why there is no explanation in your 2008/9 Annual Report, when there are NHS organisations that list the details of bonus payments as a separate table below the remuneration report?
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NHS East Midlands follows the guidance from the Department of Health with regard to the remuneration report which states that performance bonuses are included within the salary number we report, hence there is no obligation to show it separately. Other organisations may choose to do so, but we report as per the guidance.
In your Related Party disclosures, Miss Burnett had a contract with Fresh Communications and the SHA spent £1,125 with this company. Was Miss Burnett involved in the project that the £1,125 was spent on? Were quotations obtained for this work carried out by Fresh Communications?
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Miss Burnett works as an associate for this marketing communications agency on an occasional basis. Miss Burnett did not undertake any NHS related work with Fresh during 2008-2009. Miss Burnett has no knowledge of any work that Fresh undertook for NHS East Midlands during that financial year.
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A single spend of £1,125 would not require a quotation exercise. NHS East Midlands’ Statutory Financial Instructions (SFIs) state quotations must be obtained with a spend of over £10,000 to £50,000 and a full tender exercise beyond this limit.
The contract with TMP Worldwide for £66,602, were tenders received for this contract? Which companies bid for this contract?
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NHS East Midlands does not hold all of this information. However, we are aware that there was a Purchasing And Supply Agency (PASA) framework that TMP Worldwide was on, but which lapsed when PASA were superseded by Buying Solutions who now handle frameworks and agreements for UK public services.
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TMP Worldwide has been used historically by NHS East Midlands and its predecessor organisations in terms of expert advice in the field of advertising, communications and recruitment. The previous framework contract allowed NHS East Midlands to choose TMP Worldwide without the need for a formal tender exercise.
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The Central Office of Information (COI) is the Government's centre of excellence for marketing and communications. COI is currently setting up a new framework and is in the final stages of award to replace the PASA one.
For work spent with ATM Consultancy of £11.500, which SHA Department paid for this work? Were quotations or tenders obtained, do you have a list of companies who bid?
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This work was commissioned by our Workforce and HR Team.
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The amount in question consists of 2 separate training events ‘Ethics and Health Leadership’ with Professor Brian Edwards and ‘In the Public Interest’ at £5,750 each. These events were attended by 18 and 17 Non-Executive delegates respectively from across the region as part of their ongoing development. As each event was less than £10,000, NHS East Midlands was not required to obtain tenders or seek bids.
I did not see a copy of your Directors Register of Interests on your website, can you please send me a copy.
I hope that this information is of use. If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request you can ask us to review our decision by writing to:-
Mr Moosa Patel
Director of Corporate Affairs
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
