Requesting NHS information

Herefordshire Primary Care Trust has now implemented the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. The act requires all government organisations, including the NHS, to publish information about that organisation. The aim is to move to a culture where information is routinely available, subject to certain exemptions, to anyone who wishes to see it.

If you would like to request information from us this section covers the type of information that we hold, information that is already available and how to request further information from us.

Before Making a Request

We already make a lot of information available to you. Before you request information from us please follow the steps below:

• Check our Publication Scheme
• At the heart of FOI in the local NHS is what is known as a publication scheme, and every organisation will be required to have one. A publication scheme is simply a guide to the types of information a public authority undertakes to make routinely available to the public.
• Check our Disclosure Log

Making a Request

When you send us your request please ensure you do the following:

• Please provide your full name and a valid correspondence address (this can be an email address or a postal address). Guidance about making a valid request can be found on the Information Commissioners website.
• Please make sure that you provide as much information as possible in order that we can respond to your request appropriately. Please provide us with a narrow, tightly focused request and, where appropriate, a relevant time frame.
• How would you like to receive the information i.e. by post, email? Let us know when you make your request and we will meet your preference where we can.

Where to Send Your Request

Send your request to freedomofinformation@herefordpct.nhs.uk or:-

The Freedom of Information Officer
Information Governance Team
Herefordshire Primary Care Trust
Thorn Office Centre
Rotherwas
Hereford
HR2 6JT

When We Receive Your Request

Once we receive your request we will send you a formal acknowledgement together with a Request Reference, if you have not received this within 4 working days (email) or 7 working days (Royal Mail), please contact us, as this may indicate that we have not received your request.

Should we require any additional clarification to enable us to locate the information you require, we will contact you.

Once your request has been received, we have 20 working days in which to respond. In certain circumstances, where a qualified exemption applies, we may need to extend this period (in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000) in order to conduct a public interest test. In the majority of cases, we will conduct this test within the 20 working days, however, in exceptional circumstances we may need to extend the period, in which case we will advise you within the 20 working days, giving you an estimate of the date by which we will expect to have reached a decision.