COVID19 – Freedom of Information Request Update:
Your FOI request will continue to be dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the CCG will aim to answer your request within twenty working days. Whilst the CCG will make every effort to adhere to the statutory timescale the current national Coronavirus emergency may impact upon our ability to do this.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has acknowledged that resources, whether they are finances or people, might be diverted away from usual compliance or information governance work as organisations need to prioritise other areas or adapt their usual approach during this extraordinary period.
The ICO cannot extend statutory timescales, but will tell people through their communications channels that they may experience understandable delays when making information rights requests during the pandemic.
In some circumstances a fee may be payable. If that is the case, I will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you if appropriate. You will be required to pay the relevant fee before we will proceed to deal with your request.
What is the Freedom of Information Act 2000?
It is a law passed by the Government that gives you the right to ask for information from public services. The aim of the Act is to promote trust and confidence in our public services by providing clear information and being open about what we do.
To submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request please complete the form below and send it to:
EMAIL: cdccg.enquiries@nhs.net
BY POST:
Information Governance Officer
North of England Commissioning Support
John Snow House
Durham University Science Park
Durham
DH1 3YG
FOI Request form
Complaints and appeals
If you are not happy about the way we have handled your FOI request, please write in the first instance to:
Senior Governance Manager
North of England Commissioning Support
John Snow House
Durham University Science Park
Durham
DH1 3YG
You can also contact the Government Department responsible for ensuring organisations comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113
What information can I obtain?
You can obtain information about the business processes of the Clinical Commissioning Group.
What information is already available?
The majority of corporate information is available through our Publication Scheme. This scheme is a complete guide to the information we routinely publish, such as Trust policies and annual reports.
Where can I see the Publication Scheme?
Our scheme can be found at (insert link to CCG homepage)
What other information can I request?
You can write to us and ask for information which is not in our Publication Scheme; however there are certain exemptions listed in the Act.
The exemptions mean we may not be able to supply all or part of the information requested. If possible we will supply the information requested with the exempt information removed.
Can I get access to information about other patients or myself?
No, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not change the legal right of patients to protection of their patient confidentiality. Maintaining this right of confidentiality is an important commitment for all NHS organisations. To help with this, all Clinical Commissioning Groups have appointed a Caldicott Guardian who is responsible for protecting patient confidentiality within the organisation.
You may ask to see your own health records under the Data Protection Act 2018.
How do I make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000?
You must write to or e-mail us from the details outlined above in the ‘who do I write to for information’ section. Your request must include a name and address so that we can contact you. You do not need to tell us why you want the information; however you need to give us enough detail about the information you want to allow us to identify and find it. We have 20 statutory working days to respond to your FOI from receipt.
Will I have to pay for any information I ask for?
Possibly, if your request requires us to carry out significant amounts of work or photocopying.
If we are going to charge a fee we will inform you of this once we have received your request. When we have received your payment we have 20 working days to send the information you have asked for.
If we do make a charge this will be in line with the fees regulations issued by the Government.