Freedom Of Information Requests
Background
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 aims to ensure that general practice contractors providing general or personal medical services are open to the public concerning the way we operate.
Routinely Published Information
In compliance with the Act, the surgery has developed a Publication Scheme, which details all of the information that we routinely publish. If you would like a copy of the Scheme please contact 01379 586227
Further information can be otained at:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/
Who can request information?
Under the Act, any individual is able to make a request to the surgery for information. An applicant is entitled to be informed in writing by the surgery, whether the surgery holds information required and if this is the case, to have the information communicated to him/her.
How can a request be made?
Requests must –
- Be made in writing (this can be electronically eg e-mail using the 'contact us' section of this website or by fax)
- State the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence
- Describe the information requested
What will the surgery do?
Following a request the surgery will reply within 20 working days of the request being made to say if the information is available or not. The surgery will then try to provide the information in the preferred format of the applicant. Information may be shared on a website or on hard copy.
Do I Have to Pay for Information?
As a general rule:
- Anything listed in the Publication Scheme is available free of charge if providing one copy in paper-format or if it is downloaded from our website or sent electronically.
Contact Details
Please send requests by letter to:
The Practice Manager,
Fressingfield Medical Centre,
New Street,
Fressingfield
Suffolk
IP21 5PJ
Is There Any Information that the Surgery Will Not Give me?
The surgery will make every effort to provide you with a copy of the information requested and 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 that documentation which we are not allowed to release. Some examples of information we would not be allowed to release under this Act are:
- Someone else’s medical records (protected by the Data Protection Act 2018)
- Personal information (protected by the Data Protection Act 2018)
- A company’s trade secrets.
- Any information held in Court records