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Dear Ms Harris,

Your information request - IR1-4614193454

Thank you for your email dated 30 September.

How we will consider your request

We’re going to consider your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 (FOIA). The FOIA gives us 20 working days to respond, but we’ll come
back to you as soon as we can.

Yours sincerely

Information Access Team

General Medical Council

3 Hardman Street

Manchester

M3 3AW

From: Jen Harris <[FOI #1180819 email]>
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2024 5:00 PM
To: FOI <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - GMC, Physician Associates, Board
member vacancies

Dear General Medical Council, 1. What are the names of the individuals who
reviewed the written applications for new Board member/trustee and
participated in the shortlisting process? 2. What are the names of the
individuals who are on the interview

Dear General Medical Council,

1. What are the names of the individuals who reviewed the written applications for new Board member/trustee and participated in the shortlisting process?

2. What are the names of the individuals who are on the interview panel for new Board member/trustee?

3. Please supply the scoring matrix for both written application and interview.

4. How many total applications submitted for new Board member/trustee vacancy?

5. How many were shortlisted for interview?

6. How many underwent interview?

7. How many total applicants had an MBBS/medical degree?

8. How many total applicants did NOT have an MBBS/medical degree?

9. How many times have any GMC member of staff met with the following people or organisations since 1st Jan 2024 (in-person or virtual)

- Jeannie Watkins

- Stephen Nash

- Sarah Clarke

- Kamila Hawthorne

10. Please supply the emails between any member of GMC staff exchanged with Jeannie Watkins, Stephen Nash, UMAPs, CMAPs - since 1st September 2024

10. Please supply the emails between any member of GMC staff and containing any combination of terms RCGP, MAP, PA, AA, physician associate from 19th September 2024

Yours faithfully,

Jen Harris

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[1][FOI #1180819 email]

Is [2][GMC request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to General Medical Council? If so, please contact us using this form:

[3]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[4]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:

[5]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

[6]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

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 Jen Harris

Reference: IR1-4614193454

Thank you for your e-mail of 30 September 2024. 

I’ve considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA).

I can’t provide the information you requested because of the amount of
data you’ve asked for and the work that would be involved. Under the FOIA
there’s an exemption for requests where it would cost the public authority
more than £450 (the ‘appropriate limit’) to process - equivalent to two
and half days’ work. This is based on an hourly rate of £25 per hour
(which is set by the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit)
Regulations 2004).

You have posed 2 questions numbered ‘10’. But taking the final question
alone, I have identified that there are more than 4000 e-mails that, using
the different terms that you ask for, might be within scope of your
request. These e-mails cover the period from 19 September 2024 until 30
September 2024, that being the date that your request was received. 

The cost of your request

To estimate the cost, we can take into account determining, locating,
retrieving and extracting the information requested. Each e-mail would
need to be reviewed to ascertain that it does indeed cover the area you
are asking about. Any other information/topics in the e-mail would need to
be redacted. An exercise like this is likely to take at least 10 minutes
per e-mail (and possibly longer). Clearly, to review more than 4000
e-mails would take significantly longer than 2.5 days.

I’ve given details of the exemption under the FOIA which applies below.

The exemption

Under the FOIA, the specific exemption which I believe applies is at
section 12. This states that we are not required to comply with a request
if we estimate that the cost of doing so would exceed the appropriate
limit.

Advice and assistance

Narrowing your request in any meaningful way is challenging. Even just one
day’s worth of e-mails is likely to exceed the costs limit as above. It
may be that there is a particular topic or keyword in this cohort of
e-mails that you are interested in? 

Your right to appeal

I'm sorry I couldn’t provide the information you requested. If you would
like to appeal this decision, please set out your reasons in writing to
[1][GMC request email]. Please note that we will only usually consider
appeals received within 40 working days of our response. You can also
appeal to the [2]Information Commissioner, the regulator of the FOIA and
DPA.

Kind regards

Mark 

Mark Ellen
Information Access Team
General Medical Council
3 Hardman Street
Manchester  M3 3AW
Direct Line: 0161 923 6347

I work part time; my working days are usually Wednesday to Friday each
week. My normal hours on these days are 08:00 to 17:00

From: Jen Harris <[FOI #1180819 email]>
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2024 5:00 PM
To: FOI <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - GMC, Physician Associates, Board
member vacancies

Dear General Medical Council, 1. What are the names of the individuals who
reviewed the written applications for new Board member/trustee and
participated in the shortlisting process? 2. What are the names of the
individuals who are on the interview

Dear General Medical Council,

1. What are the names of the individuals who reviewed the written applications for new Board member/trustee and participated in the shortlisting process?

2. What are the names of the individuals who are on the interview panel for new Board member/trustee?

3. Please supply the scoring matrix for both written application and interview.

4. How many total applications submitted for new Board member/trustee vacancy?

5. How many were shortlisted for interview?

6. How many underwent interview?

7. How many total applicants had an MBBS/medical degree?

8. How many total applicants did NOT have an MBBS/medical degree?

9. How many times have any GMC member of staff met with the following people or organisations since 1st Jan 2024 (in-person or virtual)

- Jeannie Watkins

- Stephen Nash

- Sarah Clarke

- Kamila Hawthorne

10. Please supply the emails between any member of GMC staff exchanged with Jeannie Watkins, Stephen Nash, UMAPs, CMAPs - since 1st September 2024

10. Please supply the emails between any member of GMC staff and containing any combination of terms RCGP, MAP, PA, AA, physician associate from 19th September 2024

Yours faithfully,

Jen Harris

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[3][FOI #1180819 email]

Is [4][GMC request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to General Medical Council? If so, please contact us using this form:

[5]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[6]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:

[7]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

[8]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

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

I am out of the office until Wednesday 30 October 2024 and do not have
access to e-mails. Please direct any enquiries to the Information Access
Team ([GMC request email])

 

Mark Ellen

Dear Ms Harris

I have been made aware that you have appealed Mark’s response and so I
have considered the matter again. However, I confirm that I agree with Mr
Ellen’s response.

Your email of 30 September 2024 consists of one request, albeit one
containing multiple questions.

The [1]Cabinet Office Freedom of Information Code of Practice, at
paragraph 6.6, directs that public authorities ‘do not have to search for
information in scope of a request until the cost limit is reached, even if
the applicant requests that they do so. If responding to one part of a
request would exceed the cost limit, public authorities do not have to
provide a response to any other parts of the request.’

Additionally, the Information Commissioner’s guidance [2]also states that
‘requests defined by the section 12 cost limits are invalid under section
8(1)(c). This is because their scope is determined by the extent of the
record search you may carry out within those limits, rather than the
distinguishing characteristics of the information itself.’

These are the sources upon which we base our approach to FOI responses,
rather than the ‘spirit,’ which can be open to interpretation.

 

Although you did not raise an issue with the time assessment Mr Ellen
made, he has accurately reported the number of emails located by the
electronic search our IT department carried out and even if took one
minute rather than ten, this part of your request alone would be
significantly over the costs limit as set out in law.

I do think Mr Ellen could have done more to set our reasonable advice and
assistance but to a large extent this has now been superseded by your new
requests which we will process in line with our legal obligations.

Your right to appeal

You do have a right further right to appeal to the Information
Commissioner. The online portal to do this is [3]here. Their phone number
is 0303 123 1113 and address is: Wycliffe House, Water Ln, Wilmslow SK9
5AF.

---

Kind Regards

Matt

Matthew McCoig-Lees

Senior Information Access Officer

Information Access Team

General Medical Council

3 Hardman Street

Manchester

M3 3AW

Email: [4][email address]

Website: [5]www.gmc-uk.org

Tel: 0161 923 6579

I sometimes work flexibly and therefore this email may reach you outside
of core working hours. I don’t expect you to respond outside of your own
working hours.

From: Mark Ellen
Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2024 3:45 PM
To: Jen Harris <[FOI #1180819 email]>
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request - GMC, Physician Associates,
Board member vacancies

Dear Jen Harris

Reference: IR1-4614193454

Thank you for your e-mail of 30 September 2024. 

I’ve considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA).

I can’t provide the information you requested because of the amount of
data you’ve asked for and the work that would be involved. Under the FOIA
there’s an exemption for requests where it would cost the public authority
more than £450 (the ‘appropriate limit’) to process - equivalent to two
and half days’ work. This is based on an hourly rate of £25 per hour
(which is set by the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit)
Regulations 2004).

You have posed 2 questions numbered ‘10’. But taking the final question
alone, I have identified that there are more than 4000 e-mails that, using
the different terms that you ask for, might be within scope of your
request. These e-mails cover the period from 19 September 2024 until 30
September 2024, that being the date that your request was received. 

The cost of your request

To estimate the cost, we can take into account determining, locating,
retrieving and extracting the information requested. Each e-mail would
need to be reviewed to ascertain that it does indeed cover the area you
are asking about. Any other information/topics in the e-mail would need to
be redacted. An exercise like this is likely to take at least 10 minutes
per e-mail (and possibly longer). Clearly, to review more than 4000
e-mails would take significantly longer than 2.5 days.

I’ve given details of the exemption under the FOIA which applies below.

The exemption

Under the FOIA, the specific exemption which I believe applies is at
section 12. This states that we are not required to comply with a request
if we estimate that the cost of doing so would exceed the appropriate
limit.

Advice and assistance

Narrowing your request in any meaningful way is challenging. Even just one
day’s worth of e-mails is likely to exceed the costs limit as above. It
may be that there is a particular topic or keyword in this cohort of
e-mails that you are interested in? 

Your right to appeal

I'm sorry I couldn’t provide the information you requested. If you would
like to appeal this decision, please set out your reasons in writing to
[6][GMC request email]. Please note that we will only usually consider
appeals received within 40 working days of our response. You can also
appeal to the [7]Information Commissioner, the regulator of the FOIA and
DPA.

Kind regards

Mark 

Mark Ellen
Information Access Team
General Medical Council
3 Hardman Street
Manchester  M3 3AW
Direct Line: 0161 923 6347

I work part time; my working days are usually Wednesday to Friday each
week. My normal hours on these days are 08:00 to 17:00

From: Jen Harris <[8][FOI #1180819 email]>
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2024 5:00 PM
To: FOI <[9][email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - GMC, Physician Associates, Board
member vacancies

Dear General Medical Council, 1. What are the names of the individuals who
reviewed the written applications for new Board member/trustee and
participated in the shortlisting process? 2. What are the names of the
individuals who are on the interview

Dear General Medical Council,

1. What are the names of the individuals who reviewed the written applications for new Board member/trustee and participated in the shortlisting process?

2. What are the names of the individuals who are on the interview panel for new Board member/trustee?

3. Please supply the scoring matrix for both written application and interview.

4. How many total applications submitted for new Board member/trustee vacancy?

5. How many were shortlisted for interview?

6. How many underwent interview?

7. How many total applicants had an MBBS/medical degree?

8. How many total applicants did NOT have an MBBS/medical degree?

9. How many times have any GMC member of staff met with the following people or organisations since 1st Jan 2024 (in-person or virtual)

- Jeannie Watkins

- Stephen Nash

- Sarah Clarke

- Kamila Hawthorne

10. Please supply the emails between any member of GMC staff exchanged with Jeannie Watkins, Stephen Nash, UMAPs, CMAPs - since 1st September 2024

10. Please supply the emails between any member of GMC staff and containing any combination of terms RCGP, MAP, PA, AA, physician associate from 19th September 2024

Yours faithfully,

Jen Harris

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[10][FOI #1180819 email]

Is [11][GMC request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to General Medical Council? If so, please contact us using this form:

[12]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[13]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:

[14]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

[15]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

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