Numbers of delayed transfer of care since January 2021 (FOI)

​​​​​Request

A

How many people were delayed transfers of care, for each month since January 2021. Please provide the total number for each month, as well as the figure broken down by the reason for the delay.

B

For each month since January 2021, how many of the surgeries that were delayed or cancelled were due to a lack of bedspace?

Response

A

As noted in a Freedom of Information response published to www.gov.je in September 2022, a patient is considered to be a delayed transfer of care (DTOC) when they have been assessed as medically fit for discharge (MFFD), therapy fit and socially fit. Recording at this level was implemented in Health and Community Services’ (HCS’) Patient Administration System in mid-July 2022. Prior to this, only MFFD data was recorded centrally, and Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

DTOC data for July 2022 is available in the Freedom of Information response referenced above. The response also includes MFFD data from December 2021 to June 2022, which may be of interest. Please see the link below:

Jersey General Hospital delayed discharges (FOI)

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

The table below shows the total number of patients with delayed transfers of care recorded per month, from August 2022 to April 2023 (inclusive), as recorded in the Trakcare Hospital Administration System:

​Data Source: Hospital Electronic Patient Record (TrakCare Inpatients Report (ATD49_Daily))

The table in Attachment 1 shows the breakdown of reasons recorded for delayed transfers of care in the Trakcare Hospital Administration System, by month, from August 2022 to April 2023 (inclusive). Reasons for delayed transfers of care can be added in the course of a patient’s admission, so these figures will not always match with the number of patients. Where numbers are small, disclosure control has been applied to protect the privacy of individuals and numbers fewer than five are represented as ‘<5’. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Attachment 1.pdf

In May 2023, HCS’ Patient Administration System was replaced with a new Electronic Patient Record system, IMS Maxims. HCS does not hold monthly DTOC report data for May 2023 to September 2023. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

The table below shows the total number of patients with delayed transfers of care for October 2023, as recorded in IMS Maxims:

​Data Source: Hospital Electronic Patient Record (Maxims Inpatients Report (Append_Daily_IP020DM))

The table in Attachment 2 shows the breakdown of reasons recorded for delayed transfers of care in IMS Maxims for October 2023. Reasons for delayed transfers of care can be added in the course of a patient’s admission, so these figures will not match with the number of patients. Where numbers are small, disclosure control has been applied to protect the privacy of individuals and numbers fewer than five are represented as ‘<5’. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Attachment 2.pdf​

B

Lack of bed space as a reason for delay or cancellation of surgery was introduced as a recording option with the implementation of IMS Maxims, so has only been captured in central records since 26 May 2023. Detailed reasons for cancellation of surgery prior to this date may be recorded in individual medical records or at department level, but this information is not held centrally. It is estimated that to ascertain the historic data through manual examination of records available for cancellation details would exceed the timescales prescribed in the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014. Therefore, Article 16 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied in this respect.

Cancelled operation data from previous Freedom of Information responses is linked below, for reference:

Table 1 20220906.pdf (gov.je)

Table 1 20221014.pdf (gov.je)​

The table below shows the number of surgeries recorded as delayed or cancelled due to a lack of bed space, and the month of incidence, as recorded in IMS Maxims:

​Data Source: Hospital Electronic Patient Record (Maxims Theatres Report (TH003DM*))

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 16 - A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

(1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations. 

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 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

3)      In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.