Request

I wanted to ask if the NHSBSA holds information on the number of staff who have applied for ill health retirement due to long covid? If so, is this broken down in any meaningful way (e.g., financial years, occupation, age, region, etc)?

Could you please explain what information you hold on ill health retirement applications for staff with long covid?

Response

The number of applications for ill health retirement which cite long covid or post covid-19 syndrome as the condition is only available by breakdown of age and gender, as follows

40-49   50-59   60+

Male 0 0 * Female * 6 7

Please note that where the columns are marked with an asterisk, this signifies a field where the number is below five. We have decided not to release the full details where the total number of pension members falls below five. This is because the pension members could potentially be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available. This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (a) of the Act.

This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as: a) it is not fair to disclose pension members’ personal details to the world, particularly when relating to ill health, and is likely to cause damage or distress. b) these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the pension members in question.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

In addition, to disclose health related data concerning potentially identifiable individuals would breach their right to confidentiality. This part of the data is therefore exempt from disclosure as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) of the Act (‘Information provided in confidence’). The below web link sets out the exemption in full. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

Therefore in accordance with section 17 of the Act, please accept this response as a refusal notice in respect of this part of the requested information.

Please note that this request and our response is published on our Freedom of Information disclosure log at: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-27619

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data, please contact nhsbsa.foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact nhsbsa.communicationsteam@nhs.net. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2022” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated.

Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.