Royal Stoke University Hospital
Ref: FOIA Reference 2018/19-103
Quality, Safety and Compliance Department
Newcastle Road
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 6QG
Date: 8th June 2018
Tel: 01782 676474
Email
xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Colin Iain Campbell MBChB FRSPH
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Dear Dr Campbell
I am writing in response to your email dated 14th May 2018 (received into our office 15th May)
requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) regarding direct engagement of
locum staff using third party.
As of 1st November 2014 University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) manages two
hospital sites – Royal Stoke University Hospital, and County Hospital (Stafford). Therefore the
response below is for the two sites combined from that date where appropriate.
Q1
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would
be interested in any information held by your organisation regarding my request. I
understand that I do not have to specify particular files or documents and it is the
department’s responsibility to provide the information I require. If you need further
clarification please contact me via this website (or email). I would like to request the
following information:
1. Does your organization use a Direct Engagement scheme?
A1
Yes
Q2
If so, who provides it? And when did you start using it?
A2
PWC – The Trust started to use Clarity on the 6th November 2017
Q3
Did you take external legal advice before entering into it and, if so, from whom did you
take external legal advice?
A3
No, this was a novation from an original contract which was implemented in 2015
Q4
What has your total locum/temporary staffing spend since you started using the
scheme? If you started using the scheme before April 2017 please also state the total
locum/temporary staffing spend since April 2017.
A4
Total agency expenditure for period Apr 2017 – Mar 2018 - £18,486,910
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Q5
How does the third party direct engagement facilitator save you money on the agency
spend?
Please answer in short point form 6. How much has been paid to the third party direct
engagement facilitator thus far?
A5
The savings are achieved by increased control and transparency of the rates being paid to the
worker and agency. There are also decreased costs as the worker is directly engaged by the
Trust rather than being engaged and supplied via an agency
Q6
Was this payment calculated as a percentage of the savings generated by employing the
services of the third party direct engagement facilitator? If so, what percentage is this?
A6
This payment is not calculated as a percentage of the savings generated.
*Please note that any individuals identified do not give consent for their personal data to be processed
for the purposes of direct marketing.
UHNM NHS Trust is a public sector body and governed by EU law. FOI requestors should note
that any new Trust requirements over the EU threshold will be subject to these regulations and
will be advertised for open competition accordingly. Where the Trust owns the copyright in information provided, you may re-use the information in line
with the conditions set out in the Open Government Licence v3 which is available at
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/. Where information was
created by third parties, you should contact them directly for permission to re-use the information.
This letter confirms the completion of this request. A log of this request and a copy of this letter will be
held by the Trust.
If you have any queries related to the response provided please in the first instance contact my office.
Should you have a complaint about the response or the handling of your request, please also contact
my office to request a review of this. If having exhausted the Trust’s FOIA complaints process you are
still not satisfied, you are entitled to approach the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and
request an assessment of the manner in which the Trust has managed your request.
The Information Commissioner may be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF or via
www.ico.org.uk.
If following review of the responses I can be of any further assistance please contact my secretary on
01782 676474.
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Yours,
Mojgan Casillas
Interim Information Governance Manager
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