There are a number of ways to get access to the information that the Trust holds.
Frequently Asked Questons
You are free to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 if your query is not covered in the list. Please write to the Publication Scheme Coordinator at the address below; or email the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator.
Archived Material Previously Published
The Trust may be required to retain certain items of information even though they may have been superceeded or may no longer be in use within the Trust for other reasons, such as old site maps or inspection reports. Some of the Trust’s reponses to past enquiries are also available to members of the public other than the original enquirer. This information as well as the Trust’s response to previous requests for information are accessible by visiting the Trust Archive Deposit.
Current Information Already Published
You can look an the classes of information list that the Trust makes available through the Publications Scheme to see whether or not we already publish the information that you want. Once you have located the type of information you are seeking, follow the hyperlinks to the specific item that you want.
Email and Postal Requests
You can contact the Trust Publication Scheme Coordinator by emailing the Publication Scheme Coordinator. You can also write to the:
Publication Scheme Co-ordinator
Directorate of Health Care Governance
Devon House
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
Bordesley Green East
Birmingham
B9 5SS
You can also use our online form here.
What happens after we receive your request for information?
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Trust must respond to your request within 20 days. For requests involving environmental information, the Trust must respond within 40 days, under the Environmental Information Act 2004.
Sometimes the information you have requested contains the identifying details of people with whom the Trust has had contact. During the course of answering your request, therefore, we will decide whether you are required to provide the authority specified by law in order to gain access to the requested information. We will let you know as soon as possible whether you are required to supply specific authorisation before information can be released to you.
This usually only applies where the information requested contains information that could be used to identified individuals. It could help to shorten the time it takes to process your request if you supply any relevant authorisation at the time you make your request.
What we do with your information?
The Trust will gain access to personal information about you, for exmaple, your contact details, in order to respond to your enquiry or request for information. We undertake to hold securely this information and use it confidentialy in line with principles established under the Data Protection Act 2000. We will not disclose your personal information to anyone ouside the Trust; and we will not use them for any purpose other than to respond to your request and for the purposes of improving the way in which we deliver the Publication Scheme.
Should it become necessary to share potentially identifying details about you during the course of responding to your request, we will contact you to obtain your consent before doing so.
Giving the Trust feedback
If you have any questions, comments or complaints about this Scheme, or if you have a complaint about the operation of the Publication Scheme, or how the Trust has dealt with your request for information from the Scheme, please email the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator.
Or write to the:
Publication Scheme Co-ordinator
Directorate of Health Care Governance
Devon House
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
Bordesley Green East
Birmingham
B9 5SS
Related Links
Please click on the links below for access to useful resources:
Information Commissioner’s web site
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Lord Chancellor’s Department web site
www.lcd.gov.uk
NHS Freedom of Information web site
www.foi.nhs.uk