OFFICE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Summerfield House 2 Eday Road Aberdeen AB156RE

Date Your Ref Our Ref Enquiries to Extension Direct Line

28 th January 2013 None FOl/2013/009

Fax Email

01224 558552 01224558519

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 I refer to your letter dated ih January 2013 requesting:

Grampian

I was asked to find out the trend

in the use of bank nurses by NHS Grampian. I would be very grateful if you could furnish me with the relevant details on the trends from recent years and your comments on to what extent NHS Grampian favour the use of bank nurses as opposed to regular, permanent posts. As well as helping me understand the wider Grampian trend, any specific information for Moray would be most helpful."

I can now respond as follows:

NHS Grampian Nurse Bank Service is a supplementary staffing resource which complements existing nursing establishments when there are shortfalls in staffing. The ward I area I surgery request suitably skilled bank nurses employed by NHS Grampian from the service. All NHS Grampian bank nurses are governed by the same terms and conditions of service and policies as substantive NHS Grampian employees.

The service utilises a nationally procured complex IT system (BSMS) to record shifts requested by areas for bank and agency employees. This system was installed in April 2008 and there are no paper records held on bank and agency requests before that date. All bank and agency spend in all sectors of NHS Grampian is held by the Finance Directorate and reported to the Scottish Government and Information Services Division (ISO) on a quarterly basis. Figures quoted in this response have been taken directly from the BSMS IT system

The NHS Grampian Nurse Bank Service covers the following areas:

• Aberdeen Royal Infirmary • Woodend • Moray (integrated into service April 10) • Aberdeen Maternity Hospital (integrated into service October 10 ) • Prisons at Peterhead and Craiginches (integrated into service Novernber 11)

Continued

The following separate banks exist but we have no exact head count for bank/ agency shifts within these sectors . The costs will however be included in the figures which have been provided for the whole of NHS Grampian .

• Mental Health • Aberdeen City CHP • Aberdeenshire CHP

• Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital

Financial costs of bank spend for the whole of NHS Grampian:

2008/09 - £10.4 78 million 2009/10 - £10.771 million 2010/11 - £9.924 million 2011/12 - £12.401 million 2012/13 - £6.974 million (up to 1.10.12)

You asked about Moray trends/ statistics in particular. Please see figures below tak8n from the BSMS system

The number of shifts worked by bank nurses in Moray in each of the last five calendar years 2007-2012.

Please note: These figures include Dr Grays Hospital, Community Hospitals, and some Moray GP Practices

NHS Grampian does not hold figures for shifts 2007-2008 (IT installed April 08) , s17 of the Act refers - I nformation not held.

Figures for 1.4.08 - 31.3.09 Moray- 7961 shifts

Figures for 1.4.09 - 31.3.10 Moray- 5458 shifts

Figures for 1.4.10 - 31 .3.11 Moray- 4866 shifts

Figures 1.4.11-31.3.12 Moray - 6766 shifts

Over the last year or so, NHS Grampian has had a number of vacancies in the nursing and midwifery staff group and so in order to maintain a safe, quality service we have used bank staff. Members of staff on the bank are recruited to the same robust standards as other staff in NHS Grampian and can provide flexibility in teams to meet service demands. Often bank staff are already employed on a part-time basis within the organisation ensuring continuity of care in some ward areas. In some circumstances, individuals have chosen to work as a professional bank nurse as a career option .

NHS Grampian is undergoing various reconfiguration of staff due to development work in all areas. This includes the opening of the Emergency Care Centre and transfers of ward s in Woodend Hospital and Dr Gray's Hospital . The Nurse bank actively supports these

ongoing improvements in care delivery by providing nurses when there are shortfalls in staffing.

We are committed to providing a quality service and deploy high ly sk illed competent staff to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for patients within NHS Grampian

Under section 20 (1) of the Act, if you are dissatisfied with the way NHS Grampian has dealt with your request, you have a right to request a review of our actions and decisions in relation to your request, and you have a right to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner.

A request for review must be made within 40 working days and should, in the first instance, be in writing to: Directorate of Corporate Communications, Ashgrove House, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZN or by email togrampian@nhs .net

Requests for appeal should be made in writing to: Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife , KY16 90S Telephone: 01334464610, Fax: 01334464611 e-mail: enquiries@itspublicknowledge.info

Yours sincerely

Richard M Carey Chief Executive NHS Grampian