Disciplinary proceedings over NHS staff using social media or instant messaging apps

The request was partially successful.

Dear University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust,

I am writing with a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I would like this information for the calendar year to date, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Please can you tell me:

*How many people working at the trust have been subject to disciplinary proceedings for their use of instant messaging apps (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat)?

*How many people working at the trust have been subject to disciplinary proceedings for their use of social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)?

*Please tell me, for each case, the job title of the staff member concerned (e.g. junior doctor, consultant, nurse, administrative staff) and which sanctions were applied (e.g. dismissal, formal warning, referral to professional regulator).

I would prefer to receive the information electronically, and in either Excel or CSV format.

Should this request be likely to breach the costs limit set out in section 12 of the FOI Act, I would like the information for the most recent calendar years in turn, going backwards until the cost limit is reached.

Yours faithfully,

Kat Lay
Health Correspondent
The Times
020 7782 5054 // 07775 694 789

FOI - Freedom of Information, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Our Reference: HS/FOI/37993

 

11 April 2018

 

Kat Lay

[FOI #476548 email]

 

Dear Ms Lay,

 

Request for Information

 

Thank you for your request for information, as received by University
Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust on 9 April 2018. Within UHL NHS Trust,
Freedom of Information Act requests are managed centrally by the Corporate
and Committee Services Team. 

 

The Trust will endeavour to provide a response within the required 20
working-day deadline.  I will, of course, keep you informed should this
not prove possible for any reason.  If we require any clarification on
your request, we will contact you as soon as possible. 

 

All requesters are advised that the Trust may make a charge for providing
the information to them, to cover the cost of photocopying, postage and
packaging etc – I confirm that where these costs are below £5.00 in total,
no charge will be made.  All requesters are also advised that there may
also be a charge payable to cover costs of locating the information they
have requested, as laid down in the Freedom of Information Act Regulations
published by the Government in December 2004.  Naturally, if such a charge
is to be applied to your request, you will be informed as soon as
possible.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Luke Saunders

Apprentice, Litigation, Corporate and Committee Services

Belgrave House

Leicester General Hospital Site

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Tel. 0116 258 8605

 

Sent on Behalf of:

Helen Stokes

Corporate and Committee Services Manager

Belgrave House, Leicester General Hospital site

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Tel: 0116 258 8590

 

Information contained in emails may be subject to disclosure under the
freedom of information act 2000, and confidentiality cannot therefore be
guaranteed. Please ensure that all emails are accurate and appropriate,
and are retained/ deleted in accordance with good practice and any
policies of the trust

 

If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please inform the
sender, delete the email from your system and destroy any copies you may
have made.

 

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FOI - Freedom of Information, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Corporate and Legal Affairs – Corporate and Committee Services

 

Our Reference: HS/FOI/37993

 

8 May 2018

 

Kat Lay

[1][FOI #476548 email]

 

 

Dear Ms Lay

 

Request for Information

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request, as received
on 9 April 2018 and acknowledged on 11 April 2018.  For information, the
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust is one of the largest and
busiest NHS teaching Trusts in the country incorporating Leicester Royal
Infirmary, Glenfield and Leicester General hospitals.  Our three hospitals
have around 15,000 staff serving around 1.2 million people across
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and a further two to three million
people from the rest of the UK who come to us for treatment from one of
our specialist services.  During 2016/17 we treated 1,406,300 patients
(that’s 3,852 patients each day) – 56,500 (or 4%) more patients than in
2015/16.

 

Following consultation with colleagues from the Trust’s Human Resources
team, I confirm that the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust holds
information covered by some elements of your FOI request.   In your
Freedom of Information Act request, you asked for the following
information and the Trust’s response is provided in the table below:  

 

I would like this information for the calendar year to date, 2017, 2016,
2015, 2014 and 2013.

 

  2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
1. How many people
working at the trust
have been subject to
disciplinary proceedings
for their use of instant
messaging apps (e.g.
WhatsApp, Facebook
Messenger, Snapchat)? - 0 0 0 1
1. How many people
working at the trust
have been subject to
disciplinary proceedings
for their use of social
media (e.g. Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram)? - 2 5 6 3
 

The Trust does not hold information split in the way requested for 2013. 
However, under our FOIA section 16 duty to advise and assist requesters, I
can advise that there were 3 relevant disciplinary cases in 2013, as per
the table below.   On the information held, it is not possible to
ascertain how those 3 cases were split between use of instant messaging
apps and social media.
1. Please tell me, for each case, the job title of the staff member
concerned (e.g. junior doctor, consultant, nurse, administrative staff)
and which sanctions were applied (e.g. dismissal, formal warning, referral
to professional regulator).
Year Job Title Sanction
2013 Midwife Informal Action
2013 Healthcare Assistant Resigned
2013 Doctor Formal Action
2014 Staff Nurse Formal Action
2014 Link Worker Resigned
2015 Bank HCA Informal Action
2015 Manager Informal Action
2015 Admin staff Formal Action
2015 Healthcare Assistant Formal Action
2015 Physiotherapist Formal Action
2016 Staff Nurse Formal Action
2016 Admin staff Formal Action
2016 Doctor Informal Action
2016 Admin staff Formal Action
2016 Healthcare Assistant Formal Action
2016 Phlebotomist Resigned
2017 Bank Porter/Courier Formal Action
2017 Phlebotomist Resigned
2017 Staff Nurse Informal Action

 

 

I hope that this response is satisfactory and provides you with the
information requested (where available). If you require any further
assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.  If you are dissatisfied
with the Trust’s response, you can contact the Director of Corporate and
Legal Affairs on Tel. No. 0116 258 8615 to request a copy of UHL’s Freedom
of Information Act complaints procedure.

 

We must advise you that where we have provided information we have done so
subject to the provisions of the Re-use of Public Sector Information
Regulations 2005.  Accordingly you must not re-use this information
without having the consent of the Trust.  Where the Trust is prepared to
provide its consent then it may levy a charge for doing so. Should you
wish to re-use documents provided then you must make your request in
writing stating your name and your address for correspondence together
with the document that you wish to re-use and the purpose for which the
information is to be re-used.

 

In the event that you remain dissatisfied with the way in which the Trust
has handled any complaint that you may wish to make, we would advise you
of your right to complain to the Information Commissioner at the
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Helen Stokes

Corporate and Committee Services Manager

Belgrave House, Leicester General Hospital site

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Tel: 0116 258 8590

 

Information contained in emails may be subject to disclosure under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, and confidentiality cannot therefore be
guaranteed.  Please ensure that all emails are accurate and appropriate,
and are retained/deleted in accordance with good practice and any policies
of the Trust.  If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please
inform the sender, delete the email from your system and destroy any
copies you may have made.

 

 

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