After receiving your request
About the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was passed on 30th November 2000 and came into force from January 2005. It lets members of the public ask to see information held by public authorities, which includes healthcare providers.
It also means public authorities have to publish some information about what they do in a publication scheme.
About Environmental Information Regulations (EIR)
Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) are a set of laws in the UK that require public authorities, which includes healthcare providers, to make certain environmental information available to the public.
These regulations aim to increase public awareness of environmental issues, encourage public participation in decision-making, and enhance public confidence in public bodies.
What the FOIA and EIR mean for our Trust:
- They affect everyone in the Trust
- There is a statutory duty to implement and respond to requests under the Act and Regulations
- It allows anyone to find out whether information is held, and if it is, to have access to it
- There are no time limits on how far back someone can gain access to information, it is as far back as we hold the information
- We are committed to providing timely and accessible information to the public and responding to reasonable requests for information.
Do I need to know if the information I am requesting falls under the FOIA or the EIR?
No. When you submit a request, our team will review the information you are asking for and process it under the FOIA or EIR accordingly. If you request falls under both pieces of legislation, the team will contact you and advise how to re-submit your request.
What is not covered by an FOIA or EIR request?
The Trust is not required to respond to requests which ask for opinions as this is not data ‘held’ by the Trust.
Requests for your personal information will not be considered under the FOIA/EIR and you should contact the Access to Healthcare Records team for this.
Media enquiries should be directed to the Communications team via the Media Centre.
Before making your request
Please visit our Publication Scheme. The scheme has information on where to find key Trust documents as well as information collated on common request themes, such as:
- IT Systems and CyberSecurity
- Insourcing and Outsourcing Arrangements
- Workforce Information
- Key Policies and Procedures
- Pharmacy Data
How do I make an FOIA or EIR request?
Your request for information must be in writing, include a name and address for correspondence (email address is also acceptable) and describe the information that you are requesting, giving us enough detail about the information in order to allow us to correctly identify and find it.
Where possible, responses to requests for information will be supplied in the format requested by the applicant. However, responses may be supplied by providing a copy of the original document or a summary of the original.
Your request must be dealt with within twenty working days of receipt.
You can submit a request through our online submission form.
