Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information Act deals with official information held by public authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales and to those which are UK-wide. Official information refers to recorded information such as emails, meeting minutes, research or reports. Under the Act, the term public authority includes:
- Central government and government departments
- Local authorities
- Hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dentists, pharmacists and opticians
- State schools, colleges, universities, police forces and prison services.
What happens when a request is made?
We will acknowledge your request within five (5) working days. We will check to see what information we hold that relates to your request. If we do not have any information we will let you know as soon as possible. If we do have the information you request, you will be provided with the information within twenty (20) working days. We will try and provide you with the information in the format you required.
To make sure your request is valid and to prevent any delay in processing your request you must provide a full name and an address. This can be a company email address.
Is there a charge for this information?
If it will take considerable time to gather and provide the information, then a moderate fee maybe charged. We will let you know as soon as possible.
If a fee is payable, we will wait for your payment before sending you the information. Charges will always be in line with Government Regulations.
The Freedom of Information Act gives members of the public the right to request official information held by the Trust, unless there are good reasons to keep it confidential. It aims to make public sector bodies including the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust more open and accountable. It also helps people to understand better how public authorities carry out their duties, why they make the decisions they do and how they spend public money.
Is there any information that will not be provided?
We will make every effort to provide you with a copy of the information you requested. We may have to ask you a few questions to make sure that we provide you with what you want. There may be some documentation or certain parts of documents which we are not able to make available. Some examples are:
- Someone else’s confidential information
- Company trade secrets
- Information given in confidence
Does this mean someone else can see my personal information?
The Freedom of Information Act does not change your right to confidentiality. Your personal information is still protected by the Data Protection Act 2018 and will not be shared with anyone who is not entitled to it.