Since the 1 January 2005 the Freedom of Information Act allows anyone to request access to information recorded and held by public organisations, including West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust. The Trust will deal with requests in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act Code of Practice. This can be found at http://www.dca.gov.uk/foi/reference/statCodesOfPractice.htm
West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust is committed to being open and honest in everything we do, and has adopted the Information Commissioner's model publication scheme. For more information
about your rights under the Freedom of Information Act, please see the Information Commissioner's website:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/freedom_of_information/guidance.aspx
You can read the Freedom of Information Act in full at:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/freedom_of_information/legislation_in_full.aspx
For general information, not just about us but other local services, visit:
http://data.gov.uk/
Before making a request for information, please check whether it is already available via our website, as detailed under our publication scheme.
Last year, 2011, we saw a huge rise in the number of requests, totalling 300. This year we are seing a further rise in requests. Therefore we would ask that before you submit a request make sure the information is not already available.
If you would like to request access to information under the Freedom of Information Act please write to us either by email to: foi@wmuh.nhs.uk
or alternatively send your request to:
FoI Lead
Corporate Affairs Department
West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
Twickenham Road
Isleworth
Middlesex
TW7 6AF
Please make sure you include your name and the email or postal address where you would like us to send your response.
We cannot accept requests for information via the telephone.
You do not have to specifically mention the Freedom of Information Act when making a request, although it would help us if you do so. Neither do you have to tell us why you want the information, although it may help us if you do in order for us to ensure we give you a full picture of what you are interested in learning about.
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We will acknowledge your request in the first instance.
Under the Freedom of Information Act we are allowed 20 working days (commencing the first working day after receipt of your request) to either release the information or inform you if we do not hold it or if we do not intend releasing it due to one of the exemptions applicable under the Act. In some cases we may request an extension to this deadline, for example when key staff members are off sick or on leave. This may also be the case if we need to seek further advice or clarification before releasing the information. To avoid unnecessary delays, please make sure you address your request to the FoI Lead (email: foi@wmuh.nhs.uk).
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An individual’s access to their confidential patient records/clinical information is covered separately by the Data Protection Act for which different procedures apply.
For details on how to request access to your patient health records, please see our Access to your Health Records section of the website.
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The Freedom of Information Act specifically exempts certain types of information:
Section 21 - Information reasonably accessible to the applicant by other means
Section 22 - Information intended for future publication
Section 23 - Information supplied by or relating to security bodies
Section 24 - The national security exemption
Section 26 - Defence
Section 27 - International relations
Section 28 - Relations within the UK
Section 29 - Economy
Section 30 - Investigations
Section 31 - Law enforcement
Section 32 - Information contained in court records
Section 33 - Public audit
Section 34 - Parliamentary privilege
Section 35 - Policy formulation
Section 36 - Effective conduct of public affairs
Section 36 - What should be recorded?
Section 37 - Communications with Her Majesty and the awarding of honours
Section 38 - Health and safety
Section 39 - Environmental information
Section 40 - Personal Information
Section 41 - Information provided in confidence
Section 41 - The duty of confidence and the public interest
Section 41 - Information provided in confidence relating to contracts
Section 42 - Legal professional privilege
Section 43 - Commercial interest
Section 43 - Public sector contracts
Section 43 - Commercial detriment of third parties
Section 44 - Prohibitions on disclosure
If we believe that any of the information you have requested is exempt we will inform you of our reasons for not disclosing it. You have a right to complain and to appeal against our decision.
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We do not normally apply a charge for request. We are entitled to charge for copying of the materials, where they cannot be provided electronically, that you are seeking. In the majority of cases we will absorb this cost. If we are considering applying a charge we will contact you to establish whether you still wish to proceed with the request.
Where the cost involved of following up a request exceeds £450 (equivalent to 18 hours of staff time at £25 per hour) we are entitled to refuse it. In these instances, we will contact you to establish whether you wish to:
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proceed and pay for the request to be undertaken - in this case we will provide you with an estimate of how much we expect it to cost
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amend the request so that the cost is reduced
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no longer proceed with the request
If you have any questions about FoI please e-mail us at foi@wmuh.nhs.uk
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If you are dissatisfied with how your request has been handled or in our publication scheme or any other aspect of the way we handle Freedom of Information you can write to:
The Chief Executive
West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
Twickenham Road
Isleworth
Middlesex
TW7 6AF
If, after we have addressed your complaint, you remain dissatisfied with how we have responded, you are entitled to appeal to the Information Commissioner. Details are shown at:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/freedom_of_information.aspx
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Providing access to information does not give an automatic right to re-use it. Re-use can include publishing information or issuing copies to the public. Examples might be private sector companies wanting to re-publish our documents on their website as part of a commercial service, or wanting to publish our images in commercial publications.
The Public Sector Information Regulations provide a framework for public sector organisations to licence the re-use of their information, including the possibility of levying charges for re-use.
Further information can be found at:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advice/psi-regulations/index.htm
The regulations do not affect our copyright. The supply of documents and information (for example under Freedom of Information and on our website) does not give a right to re-use them in a way that would infringe that copyright.
If you would like to make a request to re-use information, please email:
foi@wmuh.nhs.uk
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