Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0EU
www.gov.uk/dhsc
Mr Jeremy Beakind
By email to:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
28 October 2024
Dear Mr Beakind,
Freedom of Information Request Reference FOI-1535047
Thank you for your request dated 1 October to the Department of Health and Social Care
(DHSC), a copy of which can be found in the accompanying annex.
Your request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA.
DHSC holds information relevant to your request.
However, to provide the information as it is currently framed would exceed the appropriate
cost limit set out in the FOIA.
Section 12(1) of the FOIA means public authorities are not obliged to comply with a
request for information if they estimate the cost of complying would exceed the appropriate
limit. The appropriate limit for DHSC is set at £600, which represents the cost of one
person spending 24 working hours determining whether we hold the information, and then
locating, retrieving and extracting the information.
We have estimated that the cost of locating, retrieving and extracting details of any
meetings, correspondence or documents between 1 October 2023 and 1 October 2024
that discuss medical associate professions (MAPs) and involve the Academy of Medical
Royal Colleges (AoMRC), DHSC or NHS England (NHSE) would exceed the appropriate
limit. Consequently, we will not be answering your request.
Although we cannot answer your request at the moment, we may be able to answer a
refined request within the cost limit. You may wish to consider, for example, narrowing the
date range or time period. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee at this stage that a
refined request would fall within the FOIA cost limit, or that other exemptions will not apply.
If you are not satisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to appeal by
asking for an internal review. This should be sent t
o xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or
to the address at the top of this letter and be submitted within two months of the date of
this letter.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communication.
If you are not content with the outcome of your internal review, you may complain directly
to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Generally, the ICO cannot make a
decision unless you have already appealed our original response and received our internal
review decision. You should raise your concerns with the ICO within three months of your
last meaningful contact with us.
Guidance on contacting the ICO can be found at
https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us and
information about making a complaint can be found at
https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint. Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Annex
Dear Department of Health and Social Care,
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Specifically, I seek details regarding any meetings, correspondence (including emails), and
documents discussing Medical Associate Professions (MAPs), including "Physician
Associates" and "Anaesthesia Associates," involving the following entities and individuals:
-Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) -Department of Health and Social Care
(DHSC) -NHS England (NHSE) -Any Ministers or officials within these bodies
The timeframe for this request is from 1 October 2023 to 1 October 2024.
To clarify, the scope of this request includes, but is not limited to:
Any references to "MAPs," "Medical Associate Professions," "Physician Associates," or
"Anaesthesia Associates" during the specified period Meetings, correspondence, and
emails related to these terms If it would assist in facilitating this request or preventing
excessive costs, I am open to discussing ways to refine or narrow the scope of the
information requested.
Please provide the requested information in electronic format.
I understand that you are required to respond to this request within 20 working days, as
stipulated under the FOIA 2000. Should you require any clarification, please do not
hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Yours faithfully,
Jeremy Beakind
