Spending Public Money
Several weeks ago I submitted an FOI request to the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board (GGCHB) - the details of which are reproduced below.
To its credit GGCHB responded within the time limits laid down by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - or FOISA for short - and gave a very full and clear reply.
Unlike some public bodies I could mention.
The key point to come out of the FOI request is that the Employee Director of GGCHB receives £8,008 a year - in addition to the person's salary - for acting as the Employee Director of the board.
Now I find this all very odd - because according the the Health Board - the Employee Director is given full-time release from their day job - to carry out the duties of the Employee Director.
And according to the Health Board there are no other Directors - who are employees of the Health Board - who receive such remuneration.
So what I can't get my head around is - why is public money is being spent in this way?
If Employee Directors in the NHS - which I am all in favour of by the way - get time off with pay to carry out their trade union duties - then why do they get paid an extra £8,008 a year?
I wonder how much this costs the NHS in Scotland every year - when you add up all these additional payments?
When I was a union rep with NUPE in Glasgow - albeit many years ago - no one got paid extra money for representing other NHS staff - and their fellow workers.
What people wanted in those days was time off - with pay - to do the job.
I will post the GGCHB's reply in full - in a separate post - in case anyone is interested in all the details.
But it does strike me as a sign of the times - as well as a terrible waste of public money.
Robert Calderwood
Chief Executive
Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board
BY E-MAIL
Dear Mr Calderwood
FOISA Request
I would like to make the following request under the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002.
1. Who is the current Employee Director of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board?
2. Does this person receive specific remuneration for acting as an Employee Director - and if so, what is the total annual amount?
3. What is the Employee Director's substantive job?
4. Does the Employee Director receive time-off from their day job to carry out their Employee Director duties - and if so, how much time per week?
5. Does the Employee Director have to be a member of trade union - and if so to which union does the current Employee Director belong?
6. How is the Employee Director appointed - by a vote or following an interview process, for example?
7. Do other Directors who are employees of the Health Board receive additional remuneration for acting as Directors, i.e. in addition to their substantive jobs?
I look forward to your reply and would be grateful if you could respond to me by e-mail at: markirvine@compuserve.com
Kind regards
Mark Irvine
To its credit GGCHB responded within the time limits laid down by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - or FOISA for short - and gave a very full and clear reply.
Unlike some public bodies I could mention.
The key point to come out of the FOI request is that the Employee Director of GGCHB receives £8,008 a year - in addition to the person's salary - for acting as the Employee Director of the board.
Now I find this all very odd - because according the the Health Board - the Employee Director is given full-time release from their day job - to carry out the duties of the Employee Director.
And according to the Health Board there are no other Directors - who are employees of the Health Board - who receive such remuneration.
So what I can't get my head around is - why is public money is being spent in this way?
If Employee Directors in the NHS - which I am all in favour of by the way - get time off with pay to carry out their trade union duties - then why do they get paid an extra £8,008 a year?
I wonder how much this costs the NHS in Scotland every year - when you add up all these additional payments?
When I was a union rep with NUPE in Glasgow - albeit many years ago - no one got paid extra money for representing other NHS staff - and their fellow workers.
What people wanted in those days was time off - with pay - to do the job.
I will post the GGCHB's reply in full - in a separate post - in case anyone is interested in all the details.
But it does strike me as a sign of the times - as well as a terrible waste of public money.
Robert Calderwood
Chief Executive
Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board
BY E-MAIL
Dear Mr Calderwood
FOISA Request
I would like to make the following request under the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002.
1. Who is the current Employee Director of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board?
2. Does this person receive specific remuneration for acting as an Employee Director - and if so, what is the total annual amount?
3. What is the Employee Director's substantive job?
4. Does the Employee Director receive time-off from their day job to carry out their Employee Director duties - and if so, how much time per week?
5. Does the Employee Director have to be a member of trade union - and if so to which union does the current Employee Director belong?
6. How is the Employee Director appointed - by a vote or following an interview process, for example?
7. Do other Directors who are employees of the Health Board receive additional remuneration for acting as Directors, i.e. in addition to their substantive jobs?
I look forward to your reply and would be grateful if you could respond to me by e-mail at: markirvine@compuserve.com
Kind regards
Mark Irvine
