Request
I would like to make the following Freedom of Information request about your Transforming Community Services plans.
1) Where do you plan to transfer your community services provider arms to by April 2011?
2) Have your plans changed over time? If so, please document how and why your plans have changed.
3) Did you plans change in light of the government’s ‘Revision to the Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2010/11’? If so, how did your plans change and why?
4) Did you plans change in light of the government’s White Paper ‘Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS’? If so, how did your plans change and why?
5) Did you consult local GPs on your plans for the future arrangements for your community services provider arms? If so, how?
6) Do you think you will be able to keep to the deadline of transferring your community services provider arms by April 2011? If not, please could you outline why you are not able to keep to the deadline.
7) Have you had approval from the Co-operation and Competition panel for your arrangements for transferring your community services provider arms?
8) How many staff will be made redundant once your community services provider arms are transferred?
9) What is the total amount you expect to pay in redundancy costs as part of the Transforming Community Services reforms?
Our Response
I refer to your email requesting information in respect of our Transforming Community Service Plans.
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, we are of the opinion that the exemption available to us under Section 22 of the FOIA is engaged in this instance. Section 22 relates to information which is intended for publication at a later date and is an exemption subject to the public interest test. On this occasion, we feel that the public interest would be best served by publication of the information requested when it is complete as releasing incomplete information at this point in time could be misleading and lead to public confusion.
I am able to advise you that we have already published a progress report paper on the Transfer of PCT Provider Services which outlines a brief overview of the proposals. The paper is available via the link below:
http://www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk/about-us/publications/?assetdetesctl990746=35863&categoryesctl990746=1353
There was a further update at our December board meeting which you can find via the link below to our website:
http://www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk/about-us/the-board/?assetdetesctl1237740=37472&p=1
I should point out that we do not hold any information relating to the number of redundancies planned or the associated costs.
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
