Specialling Expenditure

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am requesting recorded information on “specialling” at your Trust. By specialling I mean 1:1 nursing observation of a patient, usually by bank or agency staff. It may also be called enhanced observation, enhanced care or ETOC.

For the financial year 2025/26, please provide the cost of bank and agency specialling broken down by ward, along with the type of each ward or its main treatment function (for example, elderly care, stroke, surgical).

If held, please also split each ward’s cost between bank and agency staff.

Illustrative example:

• Ward A – Elderly care: £100,000 (Bank £70,000, Agency £30,000)
• Ward B – Stroke: £50,000 (Bank £50,000, Agency £0)
• Ward C – Surgical: £25,000 (Bank £20,000, Agency £5,000)

If a ward breakdown is not held, the Trust’s total cost is acceptable.

Please say whether the bank figures include employer on-costs, and whether agency figures include fees and VAT.

Finally, please confirm whether the Trust has a dedicated enhanced care team (a permanent team whose role is to provide 1:1 observation across wards).