Recruitment for Test and Protect posts: FOI release

Information requested

1. How many people applied for test and protect posts/jobs in Scotland in 2020?
2. How many full-time and part-time test and protect posts have been filled from external candidates, broken down by band? How many full-time and part-time test and protect posts have been filled from internal candidates, broken down by band?
3. Is there a target number of external and internal posts to be filled for full-time and part-time test and protect posts and if so what is this target number?

Response

1. How many people applied for test and protect posts/jobs in Scotland in 2020?
As part of the national advertising campaign for contact tracing roles in May 2020, people were asked to complete an "expression of interest" form which allowed candidates to select the areas of work and roles they were interested in. 19,182 people expressed an interest in contact tracing through this route, although these were not applications for specific posts. The Scottish Government does not hold information about the number of job applications made direct to individual NHS boards. 

It is also important to note that the Test and Protect strategy comprises a range of public health and clinical roles in each NHS board, and staff will be deployed in multiple departments. For instance, staff in NHS Labs, public health teams, district nursing teams and other frontline clinical staff are all involved in the delivery of test and protect.

2. How many full-time and part-time test and protect posts have been filled from external candidates, broken down by band? How many full-time and part-time test and protect posts have been filled from internal candidates, broken down by band?
These staff are employees of NHS boards, rather than the Scottish Government. As a result any information related to the posts is held by the boards themselves. You can find out information about Scotland's NHS boards at: https://www.scot.nhs.uk/organisations/ . This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

3. Is there a target number of external and internal posts to be filled for full-time and part-time test and protect posts and if so what is this target number?
In relation to contact tracing services, NHS boards were issued with new instructions in relation to their service standards (hours of operation) and minimum staffing requirements on 4 September 2020. As employment matters are devolved to NHS boards, they may choose whether to fill posts from the redeployment of suitably qualified internal candidates, or through new recruitment. 

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