Topics of Fellowships by CCT Candidates in Trauma and Orthopaedics

Request

I would be gratreful If I could be sent information about Topics of fellowship ( e.g. hip / knee / spine etc. ) done by CCT candidates ( anonymised )in Trauma & Orthopaedics   in last 2 years in your deanery.

Our Response

I refer to your recent request for information about topics of fellowships (e.g. hip/knee/spine etc) done by CCT candidates in Trauma & Orthopaedics in the last two years in East Midlands Healthcare Workforce Deanery.  I can confirm in accordance with s.1 (1) of the Freedom of  Information Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do hold the information that you have requested.

As advised in a previous FOIA response to you, we have a responsibility under the Data Protection Act (DPA) to protect the confidentiality of personal information relating to living individuals.  Personal data is defined in section 1 of the DPA as follows:

“personal data” means data which relate to a living individual who can be identified -

(a) from those data, or

(b) from those data and other information which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller, and includes any expression of opinion about the individual and any indication of the intentions of the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual”.

We are of the opinion that personal data includes the training records and achievements of the individuals in question such as the award of a Fellowship.  We believe that this information is therefore protected by Section 40 (2) of the FOIA.  Section 40 (2) applies to third party personal data and is exempt from disclosure under the FOIA if disclosure would breach any of the data protection principles contained within Part 1 of Schedule One under Section 4 (1) and (2) of the DPA.  We are also of the opinion that as the information requested relates to less than 5 candidates it is exempt from disclosure in line with the current guidance available to us on the use of small number data. The purpose of section 40 of the Act is to protect personally identifiable information and the privacy of living persons.   

I should explain that aggregate data about small groups of people can reveal information about those individuals without actually naming them. The identity of the individual and the personal data could be deduced from the data set by an informed observer.  This means that the public could identify the individuals in question by cross referencing the data with information or knowledge already available to the public.   We therefore feel that as the information you require relates to a small number of individuals, disclosing it would be likely to provide information that could be attributed to a specific individual, constituting a disclosure of their personal data.

However, I note from your request that you are wanting to understand the spread and proportion of subspecialty interests within Trauma & Orthopaedics and I am able to offer some comparative data based on a percentage split of fellowships in the East Midlands which I hope may be helpful to you:

The trainees submitting fellowships are generally post CCT doctors and have undertaken it to enhance their subspecialty training and experience rather than as an essential element of the training rotations.

I hope that this information is of use.  If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request you can ask us to review our decision by writing to:-

Mr Moosa Patel
Director of Corporate Affairs
NHS East Midlands
Octavia House
Interchange Business Park
Bostock's Lane
Sandiacre
Nottingham
NG10 5QG

If at the conclusion of any review you remain dissatisfied you may complain to the Information Commissioner who can be contacted at:-

The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF