Costs and numbers of appointment messages sent by HCJ from 2022 (FOI)

Request 704045825​

For 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 to date, please confirm:

a) The total number of appointment letters sent by HCJ to patients

b) The total cost of sending these letters - if possible, broken down into staff hours / printing / postal charges / any other costs (please list these)

c) The total number of appointment notices sent by HCJ to patients by email

d) The total cost of sending these emails – if possible, broken down into staff hours / any other costs (please list these)

e) The total number of ap​pointment notices sent by HCJ to patients by text message

f) The total cost of sending these text messages – if possible, broken down into staff hours / any other costs (please list these)

Response

A

An accurate count of letters generated is not available for the year 2022, nor for the period from January to May 2023, as Health and Care Jersey (HCJ) changed Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems at the end of May 2023. Therefore, Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

The table below details the total number of documents generated in the Maxims EPR system from 01 June 2023 to 30 April 2025 which were categorised as ‘Appointment Letters’ or ‘Appointment Ad Hoc Letters’. This dataset reflects letters stored or generated within the Maxims EPR, and does not confirm whether these letters were sent, delivered, or received. The presence of a document in the system is not indicative of successful communication.

​Data Source: Maxims Patient Documents report

B

As noted in a Freedom of Information response published to www.gov.je in August 2023, Health and Care Jersey (formerly Health and Community Services), pays business rates for postage. Current rates can be found on the Jersey Post website at the following link:

Online postage portal - Jersey Post ​

Other costs associated with sending appointment letters, such as staff time and sundry costs, are not distinctly attributable and cannot be discerned from available records. Therefore, Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

C to F

The information requested is not available to report from central records. Therefore, Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Article 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.​