Workforce Systems - FOI Response Register

Question/s to be answered

1. Which software provider does the Trust use for "direct engagement" management of temporary medical staff?
2. Which software provider does the Trust use for the management of temporary medical staff?
3. Which software provider does the Trust use for master vendor management software?
4. What is the contractual end date of your current direct engagement software?
5. What is the contractual end date of your current temporary medical staff management software?
6. What is the contractual end date of your current master vendor management software?

NHS Shetland believe that by releasing this information into the public domain, we are providing information which will increase the risk of the organisations IT infrastructure being unlawfully targeted and penetrated by unnecessarily exposing information related to its current systems.  Criminal organisations could use information about systems to then orchestrate focussed cyber-attacks on the organisation, knowing which systems we run, especially with some of the older operating systems being no longer supported and therefore vulnerable. Such attempts, if successful, would be likely to prejudice substantially the Board’s ability to exercise a number of its purposes, but particularly those described under FOISA section 35(2)(g) and section 35(2)(h) i.e., to secure the health and safety of its staff and patients. For this reason, we believe that the exemption under FOISA, section 35(1)(g) applies to the information requested. These purposes derive from, but are not limited to, the NHS Shetland’s statutory duties under both the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.

We acknowledge that any exemption applying under section 35 is also subject to the public interest test. We have therefore applied the public interest test and subsequently determined that, in the context of this specific case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs that in disclosure of the information.