HR Department Jersey Hospital

​Request 704273396

I'd like to see details of the contract between the States of Jersey and Holt Doctors agency, please. 

What is the value of this contract and how many doctors has the agency brought to the Island since it was started? 

Was this contract put out to tender? 

How long is this contract due to run?

Response

The contract with Holt Medical Recruitment Limited has been shared in a Freedom of Information response published to www.gov.je in May 2024, available at the following link:

gov.je/government/freedomofinformation/pages/foi.aspx?ReportID=7455

As this information is available elsewhere, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Figures for the number of locum medical staff engaged each year from 2018 to 2022 are available in a Freedom of Information response published to www.gov.je in December 2023, and data for 2023 and 2024 are provided in the Minister for Health and Social Services’ response to a Written Question in the States Assembly. Links are provided below to both:

gov.je/government/freedomofinformation/pages/foi.aspx?ReportID=7027

WQ-81-2025_1.pdf

As this information is available elsewhere, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Holt has supplied locum medical staff to Health and Care Jersey (HCJ (formerly Health and Community Services)) since August 2017. Data for unique locum bookings is not available to report from central records held by HCJ prior to 2018. Therefore, Article 3 of the Freedom of Information Jersey (Law) 2011 applies.

As per the May 2024 Freedom of Information response referenced and linked above, the value of the contract is commercially sensitive, and as such, Article 33 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Details of annual expenditure on locum medical staff, from 2018 to 2023, have been published. Costs for 2018 to 2022 can be found in the December 2023 Freedom of Information response referenced and linked above. Costs for 2023 are available in a Freedom of Information response of July 2024, linked below for reference:

gov.je/government/freedomofinformation/pages/foi.aspx?ReportID=7586 ​

The tender process for the service contract is in progress.

As noted in a Freedom of Information response published in April 2024, Holt’s contract to supply locum medical staff cover includes an option to extend through till 2027. The current end date is 31 December 2025.

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.

Article 33 - Commercial interests

Information is qualified exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes a trade secret; or

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Public Interest Test

Article 33 is a qualified exemption and as such, Health and Care Jersey (HCJ) has conducted a prejudice test as required by law. 

When responding to requests of this nature, HCJ has to balance the public interest with the impact that disclosing this information would, or would be likely to, have upon the organisation and / or third parties. Whilst it may be in the public interest to understand the costs of contracting services, protecting the commercial interests of HCJ is an essential component in controlling public finances, which in itself is in the public interest.

It has been concluded that disclosing details of contractual service arrangements - including contract values - is likely to prejudice the commercial interests of HCJ and / or the provider. Additionally, the service contract for Locum provision is currently out for tender, and any such disclosure could prejudice the tender process and have a detrimental effect on contract negotiations.

​When considering the application of this exemption, HCJ has determined that whilst it is in the public interest to disclose information, this is outweighed by the necessity to limit any impact on the commercial interests of HCJ and third parties in future contract negotiations, and as such, Article 33 has been applied.