Changes to scoring for Foundation Programme recruitment

The request was partially successful.

Dear Health Education England,

This request is made in response to UKFPO's announcement this afternoon, which confirmed change in scoring of Foundation Programme applications to commence for UKFP 2023. It was stated that the decision was made by the Medical and Dental Recruitment and Selection Programme Board.

Therefore, I am requesting all agenda, minutes, third-party representations, communications between members of the Board that relates to this decision to change the scoring system.

Yours faithfully,

A. Ying

Dear A. Ying

 

Thank you for your recent request regarding the UK Foundation Programme.

 

We are writing to acknowledge that your request for information was
received by Health Education England on 09/12/2020 and is currently being
considered. 

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (General Rights of Access) that
came into force on 1 January 2005, we have a duty to: 

 

•    Acknowledge receipt of your request within 2 working days 

•    Respond to your request within 20 working days.   

 

We will respond to your request as soon as possible but no later than
11/01/2020 

 

If you have any queries or should you wish to discuss the manner in which
your request is being processed then please do not hesitate to contact us
at [1][HEE request email] in the first instance.  

 

Further information about your rights under the Freedom of Information Act
is available from the Information Commissioner's Office who can be
contacted at [2]https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

 

Kind Regards, 

 

 

Helen Rattray

Public and Parliamentary Accountability Manager

 

Health Education England

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

 

T. 0113 2952054

E. [3][email address]

W. [4]www.hee.nhs.uk

 

HEE is part of the NHS, and we work with partners to plan, recruit,
educate and train the health workforce

 

 

From: A. Ying <[FOI #711812 email]>
Sent: 08 December 2020 17:17
To: FOIA <[HEE request email]>
Subject: FOI 1161 - Freedom of Information request - Changes to scoring
for Foundation Programme recruitment

 

Dear Health Education England,

This request is made in response to UKFPO's announcement this afternoon,
which confirmed change in scoring of Foundation Programme applications to
commence for UKFP 2023. It was stated that the decision was made by the
Medical and Dental Recruitment and Selection Programme Board.

Therefore, I am requesting all agenda, minutes, third-party
representations, communications between members of the Board that relates
to this decision to change the scoring system.

Yours faithfully,

A. Ying

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #711812 email]

Is [6][HEE request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Health Education England? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[8]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[9]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

10 Attachments

Dear A. Ying

 

We refer to your email of 8^th December 2020 requesting information held
by Health Education England (HEE). 

 

HEE can confirm in accordance with S.1 (1) of the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do hold the information that you have requested.

Please find attached the documentation which falls within the remit of
your request. I should advise you that some information, including
signatures and the names of junior staff, has been redacted from the
documentation under Section 40 of the FOIA.

Under section 40(2) of the FOIA, third party personal data (personal
information of another person) is exempt from disclosure if releasing
would contravene any of the provisions in the Data Protection Act (DPA)
2018. Such information would not be released under the FOIA unless there
is a strong public interest. All persons whose personal data is processed
by HEE, regardless of whether they be staff, trainees or members of the
public, have an intrinsic right to privacy and these rights are protected
by virtue of the DPA. Release of the information subject to the exemption
is likely to compromise those rights. Individuals, trainees and members of
staff can expect HEE to secure their personal information and only process
their personal information in line with the principles contained within
the DPA. 

 

We 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 Lee Whitehead  

Director of People and Communications 

C/O PPA Team

Health Education England  

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

 

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

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Helen Rattray

Public and Parliamentary Accountability Manager

 

Health Education England

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

 

T. 0113 2952054

E. [1][email address]

W. [2]www.hee.nhs.uk

 

HEE is part of the NHS, and we work with partners to plan, recruit,
educate and train the health workforce

 

[3]Hands, face, space graphic

 

From: A. Ying <[FOI #711812 email]>
Sent: 08 December 2020 17:17
To: FOIA <[HEE request email]>
Subject: FOI 1161 - Freedom of Information request - Changes to scoring
for Foundation Programme recruitment

 

Dear Health Education England,

This request is made in response to UKFPO's announcement this afternoon,
which confirmed change in scoring of Foundation Programme applications to
commence for UKFP 2023. It was stated that the decision was made by the
Medical and Dental Recruitment and Selection Programme Board.

Therefore, I am requesting all agenda, minutes, third-party
representations, communications between members of the Board that relates
to this decision to change the scoring system.

Yours faithfully,

A. Ying

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[4][FOI #711812 email]

Is [5][HEE request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Health Education England? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[6]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[8]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

For attention of:

Mr Lee Whitehead
Director of People and Communications
C/O PPA Team

Dear Mr Whitehead,

I am writing to request an internal review of Health Education England's handling of my FOI request 'Changes to scoring for Foundation Programme recruitment'.

The reasons that I am requesting a review are as follows:

I noted that you did not provide minutes of the Medical and Dental Recruitment and Selection Programme Board, and instead only that of the RDG and the UKFP Board. To my understanding, MDRS Programme Board is also within the remit of the HEE. Therefore I request its minutes, the papers considered by its members, if any, and the consultations made by the MDRS Programme Board and the responses also be released.

Even if MDRS Programme Board is not within the remit of HEE, at the minimal I would ask that all communications between UKFPO, RDG, UKFP Board and the MDRS Programme Board in relation to this decision (of changing the scoring for Foundation Programme recruitment) as held by HEE be released. I would also kindly ask HEE to advise where the additional documentations held by MDRS Programme Board may be obtained from, as per its obligation under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,
A. Ying

2 Attachments

Dear A. Ying,

 

Thank you for your email of 9^th January 2020 requesting a review of our
response to your request for information, reference FOI 1161.

 

Health Education England (HEE) responded to your original request on 7^th
January 2020, providing you with some of the information that you
requested.

 

Following your request to review our response and provide minutes of the
Medical and Dental Recruitment and Selection Programme Board, we have
re-examined the information that we hold and noted that this document had
not been identified for disclosure and shared with you in our response to
FOI 1161.

 

Please accept our apologies that this was not included in the
documentation released to you.

 

We have now attached the requested minutes from the MDRS Programme Board
and hope this information is helpful.

 

If 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

 

Kind Regards,

 

Barry Coffey

Public and Parliamentary Accountability Support Officer

 

Health Education England

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

 

T. 0113 8871620

E. [1][email address]

W. [2]www.hee.nhs.uk

 

HEE is part of the NHS, and we work with partners to plan, recruit,
educate and train the health workforce

[3]Hands, face, space graphic

 

 

From: A. Ying <[FOI #711812 email]>
Sent: 09 January 2021 17:34
To: FOIA <[HEE request email]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Changes to
scoring for Foundation Programme recruitment

 

For attention of:

Mr Lee Whitehead
Director of People and Communications
C/O PPA Team

Dear Mr Whitehead,

I am writing to request an internal review of Health Education England's
handling of my FOI request 'Changes to scoring for Foundation Programme
recruitment'.

The reasons that I am requesting a review are as follows:

I noted that you did not provide minutes of the Medical and Dental
Recruitment and Selection Programme Board, and instead only that of the
RDG and the UKFP Board. To my understanding, MDRS Programme Board is also
within the remit of the HEE. Therefore I request its minutes, the papers
considered by its members, if any, and the consultations made by the MDRS
Programme Board and the responses also be released.

Even if MDRS Programme Board is not within the remit of HEE, at the
minimal I would ask that all communications between UKFPO, RDG, UKFP Board
and the MDRS Programme Board in relation to this decision (of changing the
scoring for Foundation Programme recruitment) as held by HEE be released.
I would also kindly ask HEE to advise where the additional documentations
held by MDRS Programme Board may be obtained from, as per its obligation
under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[4]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,
A. Ying

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #711812 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[6]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for supplying this minutes.

However, I noted that in the item that relates to my request (9. Delivering the recommendations of the Foundation Review), it was stated that no decision was made and "clarification of the timeline need[ed] to be looked at before agreeing process". Therefore presumably there is additional documents which has not been disclosed. Further, the report itself referenced in the minutes was not included.

Please kindly confirm whether HEE is now refusing to further review its records and supply the clearly referenced documents without a complaint being made to the ICO.

Yours sincerely,
A. Ying

Dear A. Ying,

  

Request for Information: Freedom of Information Act 

 

Thank you for your email. 

  

We acknowledge receipt of your request for information to Health Education
England which we received on 03/02/2021.

  

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (General Rights of Access) that
came into force on 1 January 2005, we have a duty to respond to your
request within 20 working days.    

  

We will respond to your request as soon as possible but no later than
03/03/2021.   

 

Kind regards,

 

FOI Team 

Public & Parliamentary Accountability 

  

Health Education England 

Blenheim House | Duncombe Street | Leeds | LS1 4PL 

  

Stay up to date by following HEE on [1]Facebook and [2]Twitter. 

 

 

 

 

From: A. Ying <[3][FOI #711812 email]>
Sent: 03 February 2021 13:39
To: FOIA <[4][HEE request email]>
Subject: Re: FOI 1182 - Internal Review of FOI 1161 - Response To
Requester

 

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for supplying this minutes.

However, I noted that in the item that relates to my request (9.
Delivering the recommendations of the Foundation Review), it was stated
that no decision was made and "clarification of the timeline need[ed] to
be looked at before agreeing process". Therefore presumably there is
additional documents which has not been disclosed. Further, the report
itself referenced in the minutes was not included.

Please kindly confirm whether HEE is now refusing to further review its
records and supply the clearly referenced documents without a complaint
being made to the ICO.

Yours sincerely,

A. Ying

show quoted sections

Dear Sirs,

I write in relation to your previous reply. Please note that this is in relation to an existing request (FOI 1161). I simply would like to give HEE an opportunity to rectify its error in relation to the missing documents.

Yours sincerely,
A. Ying

Dear A. Ying,

 

Thank you for your email. Please be assured that we are actively reviewing
this request, in conjunction with your earlier Freedom of Information
request (FOI 1161) and the accompanying follow-up (FOI 1182). We will
endeavour to respond as soon as possible and no later than 03/03/2021.

 

Kind regards,

 

FOI Team 

Public & Parliamentary Accountability 

  

Health Education England 

Blenheim House | Duncombe Street | Leeds | LS1 4PL 

  

Stay up to date by following HEE on [1]Facebook and [2]Twitter. 

 

 

 

From: A. Ying <[FOI #711812 email]>
Sent: 17 February 2021 20:57
To: FOIA <[HEE request email]>
Subject: Re: FOI 1200 (Further Information Requested - FOI 1182) -
Acknowledgement

 

Dear Sirs,

I write in relation to your previous reply. Please note that this is in
relation to an existing request (FOI 1161). I simply would like to give
HEE an opportunity to rectify its error in relation to the missing
documents.

Yours sincerely,

A. Ying

show quoted sections

5 Attachments

Dear A. Ying,

Thank you for your email of 03/02/2021 requesting further information in
relation to your previous requests, FOI 1161 and FOI 1182. As a result of
the MDRS Programme Board Minutes that were provided to you in FOI 1182,
you noted that “the item that relates to my request (9. Delivering the
recommendations of the Foundation Review), it was stated that no decision
was made and "clarification of the timeline need[ed] to be looked at
before agreeing process".” and requested “…additional documents which has
not been disclosed. Further, the report itself referenced in the minutes
was not included.”

Following your request to review the information provided, we have
re-examined the information that we hold and have noted three other
documents had not been identified for disclosure and shared with you in
our original response to FOI 1161.

Please accept our apologies that these were not included in the
documentation released to you.

We would also like to provide some additional clarification around these
other three documents and share further details regarding the Educational
Achievement removal timetable, as indicated in the MDRS Programme Board
minutes supplied for FOI 1182. Please see below:

 1. Item 9 of the MDRS Programme board meeting from 24/02/2020 is centred
around the delivery of the Foundation Review recommendations. This
resulted in producing the following action: “Clarification of the
timeline needs to be looked at before agreeing process.” Please refer
to page Item 9 on Page 6 of the attached “15-1 2020 02 24 MDRS
Programme Board Minutes”. (please note: this document was previously
supplied in our response for FOI 1182)

 2. The MDRS programme board for the remainder of 2020 was dominated by
the significant changes to specialty recruitment required due to the
Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore the clarification of the EA removal
timeline was not discussed until the next United Kingdom Foundation
Programme Office (UKFPO) board meeting in October 2020.

 3. As per the information above, the EA timetable was next raised at the
UKFPO Board Meeting on 01/10/2020 and an action was created to
escalate this to MDRS. Please refer to Item 6 on Page 5 of the
attached “Collated RDG and UKFP Minutes for FOI December 2020”.
(please note: this document was previously supplied in our response
for FOI 1161)

 4. Therefore the decision for timings on the EA removal were discussed at
the Four Nations Medical Directors Meeting on 29/10/2020. Please refer
to Item 6 on page 1 of the attached “20201029 AGENDA Four Nations MDs
Meeting”

 5. The minutes for Item 6 (regarding EA removal) at the Four Nations
Medical Directors Meeting on 29/10/2020 are included as an attachment.
Please refer to the attached “Four Nations Medical Directors Meeting
Notes 29-10-2020 - Item 6”

 6. Following on from the above, the Health Education England (HEE) board
confirmed and relayed this decision via the Chief Executive Officer’s
update, the details of which can be found in the minutes from the
15/12/2020 HEE Board meeting. Please refer to item 4 on page 21 of the
attached “2020-12-15 HEE Board Papers”

We 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 Lee Whitehead

Director of Corporate Accountability & Engagement

C/O PPA Team

Health Education England

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

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

Kind regards,

Barry

Barry Coffey

Public and Parliamentary Accountability Support Officer

Corporate Accountability and Engagement Directorate

Health Education England

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

Contact via MS Teams and Skype

0113 8871620

[1]www.hee.nhs.uk

HEE is part of the NHS, and we work with partners to plan, recruit,
educate and train the health workforce

From: A. Ying <[FOI #711812 email]>
Sent: 03 February 2021 13:39
To: FOIA <[HEE request email]>
Subject: Re: FOI 1182 - Internal Review of FOI 1161 - Response To
Requester

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for supplying this minutes.

However, I noted that in the item that relates to my request (9.
Delivering the recommendations of the Foundation Review), it was stated
that no decision was made and "clarification of the timeline need[ed] to
be looked at before agreeing process". Therefore presumably there is
additional documents which has not been disclosed. Further, the report
itself referenced in the minutes was not included.

Please kindly confirm whether HEE is now refusing to further review its
records and supply the clearly referenced documents without a complaint
being made to the ICO.

Yours sincerely,

A. Ying

show quoted sections

A. Ying left an annotation ()

Complaint made to ICO, reference IC-88890-S8B1. Awaiting assignment to case handler as of 5 March 2021.

5 Attachments

Dear A. Ying,

 

A short time ago, I spoke to a case worker from the ICO (in regards to
Case Reference IC-88890-S8B1) who informed me that you may not have
received the following response for FOI 1200 from Health Education England
on the 3^rd of March 2021.

 

As per the ICO’s direction, I have included the original response (as
detailed below) and the attached documentation, and have copied them into
this response.

 

I hope this information is of use.

 

Kind regards,

Barry

 

Barry Coffey

Public and Parliamentary Accountability Officer

Corporate Accountability and Engagement Directorate

 

Health Education England

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

 

[1]www.hee.nhs.uk

 

HEE is part of the NHS, and we work with partners to plan, recruit,
educate and train the health workforce

 

 

 

From: FOIA <[HEE request email]>
Sent: 03 March 2021 17:13
To: 'A. Ying' <[FOI #711812 email]>
Subject: FOI 1200 - Response To Requester

 

Dear A. Ying,

 

Thank you for your email of 03/02/2021 requesting further information in
relation to your previous requests, FOI 1161 and FOI 1182. As a result of
the MDRS Programme Board Minutes that were provided to you in FOI 1182,
you noted that “the item that relates to my request (9. Delivering the
recommendations of the Foundation Review), it was stated that no decision
was made and "clarification of the timeline need[ed] to be looked at
before agreeing process".” and requested “…additional documents which has
not been disclosed. Further, the report itself referenced in the minutes
was not included.”

 

Following your request to review the information provided, we have
re-examined the information that we hold and have noted three other
documents had not been identified for disclosure and shared with you in
our original response to FOI 1161.

 

Please accept our apologies that these were not included in the
documentation released to you.

 

We would also like to provide some additional clarification around these
other three documents and share further details regarding the Educational
Achievement removal timetable, as indicated in the MDRS Programme Board
minutes supplied for FOI 1182. Please see below:

 

 1. Item 9 of the MDRS Programme board meeting from 24/02/2020 is centred
around the delivery of the Foundation Review recommendations. This
resulted in producing the following action: “Clarification of the
timeline needs to be looked at before agreeing process.” Please refer
to page Item 9 on Page 6 of the attached “15-1 2020 02 24 MDRS
Programme Board Minutes”. (please note: this document was previously
supplied in our response for FOI 1182)

 

 2. The MDRS programme board for the remainder of 2020 was dominated by
the significant changes to specialty recruitment required due to the
Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore the clarification of the EA removal
timeline was not discussed until the next United Kingdom Foundation
Programme Office (UKFPO) board meeting in October 2020.

 

 3. As per the information above, the EA timetable was next raised at the
UKFPO Board Meeting on 01/10/2020 and an action was created to
escalate this to MDRS. Please refer to Item 6 on Page 5 of the
attached “Collated RDG and UKFP Minutes for FOI December 2020”.
(please note: this document was previously supplied in our response
for FOI 1161)

 

 4. Therefore the decision for timings on the EA removal were discussed at
the Four Nations Medical Directors Meeting on 29/10/2020. Please refer
to Item 6 on page 1 of the attached “20201029 AGENDA Four Nations MDs
Meeting”

 

 5. The minutes for Item 6 (regarding EA removal) at the Four Nations
Medical Directors Meeting on 29/10/2020 are included as an attachment.
Please refer to the attached “Four Nations Medical Directors Meeting
Notes 29-10-2020 - Item 6”

 

 6. Following on from the above, the Health Education England (HEE) board
confirmed and relayed this decision via the Chief Executive Officer’s
update, the details of which can be found in the minutes from the
15/12/2020 HEE Board meeting. Please refer to item 4 on page 21 of the
attached “2020-12-15 HEE Board Papers”

 

 

We 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 Lee Whitehead

Director of Corporate Accountability & Engagement

C/O PPA Team

Health Education England

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

 

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

 

Kind regards,

Barry

 

Barry Coffey

Public and Parliamentary Accountability Support Officer

Corporate Accountability and Engagement Directorate

 

Health Education England

Blenheim House

Duncombe Street

Leeds

LS1 4PL

 

Contact via MS Teams and Skype

0113 8871620

[2]www.hee.nhs.uk

 

HEE is part of the NHS, and we work with partners to plan, recruit,
educate and train the health workforce

 

 

 

From: A. Ying <[3][FOI #711812 email]>
Sent: 03 February 2021 13:39
To: FOIA <[4][HEE request email]>
Subject: Re: FOI 1182 - Internal Review of FOI 1161 - Response To
Requester

 

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for supplying this minutes.

However, I noted that in the item that relates to my request (9.
Delivering the recommendations of the Foundation Review), it was stated
that no decision was made and "clarification of the timeline need[ed] to
be looked at before agreeing process". Therefore presumably there is
additional documents which has not been disclosed. Further, the report
itself referenced in the minutes was not included.

Please kindly confirm whether HEE is now refusing to further review its
records and supply the clearly referenced documents without a complaint
being made to the ICO.

Yours sincerely,

A. Ying

show quoted sections