FOI 25-107 - Cost of Musculoskeletal Injuries for SAS Staff
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 25-107 - Cost of Musculoskeletal Injuries for SAS Staff
- Request Date
- 03 Mar 2025
- Response Date
- 04 Mar 2025
- Information Requested
If the information is available, could you please tell me (in relation to paramedics in the Scottish Ambulance Service): The total annual cost (£) for the past 5 years of MSK disorders/injuries. Including/accounting for factors such as absence, rehabilitation, time, shift cover, delayed/missed appointments, etc, (anything that is recorded as contributing to the overall cost of MSK disorders/injuries to the NHS). The average cost (£) per case of MSK disorder/injury for the past 5 years. Including/accounting for the same factors as the above request.
- Response
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not have a Musculoskeletal category within our financial reporting system that would allow us to report specifically on Paramedic MSK related incidents.
Public authorities are not required to create information in order to answer a request. There’s a distinction between creating new information, and compiling information. Where a request can be answered by compiling information from readily-available resources held by the public authority, this is not the same as creating new information. However, if collation of the information would require skill and complex judgement, the information is not held.
To answer the request of total MSK related costs for paramedic staff would require the Scottish Ambulance Service to review every MSK related injury or absence and cross-check it to determine the staff grading of paramedic and review each treatment plan to ascertain the total cost; all of which are held on multiple systems.
I have concluded that, we are unable to produce this information without complex skill and judgement. It is for this reason we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 as information not held.
