Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has spent on legal fees in each of the last three years; and how much of that amount was spent on employee relations cases.

We have been provided with the following information from Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust regarding the Trust’s expenditure on legal fees in each of the last three years; and how much of that amount was spent on employee relations cases.

- In 2014/15, the Trust’s spend on legal fees was £158,275 of which £35,955 was spent on employee relations cases;

- In 2015/16, the Trust’s spend on legal fees was £178,261 of which £94,817 was spent on employee relations cases; and

- In 2016/17, the Trust’s most recent in-year figures that are available show that the spend on legal fees is £202,558, and from this £50,946 has been spent on employee relations cases.

Legal fees figures include all solicitors’ invoices coded to the ‘legal/professional fees’ cost centre and may include fees for training or insurance excess payments not covered by the NHS Litigation Authority following litigation.

The spend on employee relations cases includes advice on Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations regulations, pensions and the Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme as well as individual cases.