Freedom of Information (FOI)
NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough is committed to openness and transparency. We make information about our work and activities widely available, on our website and in our publications.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives anyone the right to access certain information held by us, subject to some conditions and exemptions. Its aim is to create a climate of openness in public services and to inform people how public authorities make their operational decisions and how public money is used.
NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough's Freedom of Information Policy is available to download.
Publication Scheme
Our publication scheme outlines the types (known as classes) of information we routinely publish. Before sending an FOI request, please review our publication scheme and Annual FOI Response log, as the information you are searching for may already be available or asked for.
If you cannot find the information you want using the above routes, or still need further information, you have the right to request it.
Who can make a request?
Anyone, anywhere can. There are no restrictions on age, nationality, or location.
What can I request?
You can seek any recorded information you think we hold. Depending on the type of information you are requesting different processes and legislation applies.
If you ask for information about yourself, known as your own personal data, you need to make a Subject Access Request (SAR). This is because it falls under the Data Protection Act 2018 , and not the FOI Act.
We do not hold patient’s medical records – these are held by your GP or hospital. If you’d like to access these, please see the NHS website – how to access your health records .
If your request is wholly or partly for “environmental information” we will treat that part of your request as a request under the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR). You do not need to identify this, we will do this when assessing your request.
How to make a request
Anyone may request information in writing, stating:
- your name and address (this can be a postal or email address) where you want to be contacted
- a clear description of the information you wish to know
- provide dates if relevant
- the format you would like information supplied back to you
- a contact telephone number is useful in case we need to discuss your request.
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Gemini House
Bartholomews Walk
Cambridgeshire Business Park
Ely
CB7 4EA
For assistance in making a request you can call the FOI team on 03300 571030.
What happens when my request is received /how soon will I get a reply ?
We will acknowledge your request and source the information you have requested from the relevant team. Within 20 working days we will contact you to:
- provide a response to your FoI request, or ask for more information if we need it
- tell you we don’t hold the information and, if we can, advise you who does
- inform you if your request exceeds the cost limit specified in the ICO Fees Regulations and invite you to submit a further, narrower request
- tell you we hold the information but are not releasing it, citing the relevant exemption
- tell you that we need more time to coordinate a response or to consider the public interest test in relation to your request. We will then specify a new deadline date.
Why a request may be refused
If the cost of locating, retrieving, and collating the information you’ve asked for is more than £450 (equivalent to 18 hours’ work at £25 per hour), we have the right to refuse your request.
These limits apply to all requests made by one individual or organisation in a 60 working day period. We offer reasonable advice and assistance to revise or narrow the request so that it can be processed within these limits.
For more information about how and why we might refuse a request please visit the Information Commissioners Office website or read the Freedom of Information Act 2000 .
What happens if I am unhappy with the response I receive or the way that my request was handled?
You can complain.
If you are unhappy with the way in which your request has been handled, you can request an internal review by emailing the FOI team
We will let you know when we receive it and tell you how long we will take to deal with it. This will depend on the complexity. Your case will be appropriately investigated before you receive a response.
If after we have addressed your concerns, you remain dissatisfied with how the ICB has responded you can appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. More information is available on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.
Publication Scheme
FOI Publication Scheme
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is committed to meeting the statutory requirements of the FOI Act. The Information Commissioner has produced a series of approved model publication schemes for various types of public body.
Each model publication scheme specifies the classes of information to be included and how that information is made available, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. We (NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough) have adopted the health sector model publication scheme.
The aim of a publications scheme is to foster openness and increase transparency of what we do, what we spend, our priorities, decisions and policies. A secondary aim is to improve public access to the information we hold, making it easier for you to find and obtain the information you require without having to make a written request.
Classes of information
Our publication scheme contains seven classes of information. These are:
- Who we are and what we do
- What we spend and how we spend it
- What our priorities are and how we are doing
- How we make decisions
- Our policies and procedures
- Lists and registers
- The services we offer
It is possible that some classes will hold very few documents because we do not hold any information for that class. Other reasons include the information is exempted from disclosure, the information has been archived or is inaccessible, or it is impractical to prepare the information for routine release.
How you can access information
Where we can, information will be provided on our website.
Where it is impracticable to make information available on a website or when someone does not wish to access the information online, information can be obtained by contacting:
ICS Secretary
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Gemini House,
Bartholomews Walk,
Cambridgeshire Business Park,
CB7 4EA
Email: capccg.freedomofinformation1@nhs.net
Information in this publication scheme (or supplied in response to a written request) will be available in the language in which it is held. However, if needed we will translate any information on this site (or supplied in response to a written request) where we are legally required to do so.
We will also comply with all disability and discrimination legislation and on request make our information available in other formats as required by law.
Charges we may need to make
The purpose of this scheme is to make the maximum amount of information readily available at minimum inconvenience and cost to the public. Charges made by us for routinely published material will be justified, clear, and kept to a minimum.
Material which is published and accessed on our website will be provided free of charge.
How we decide if a charge is to be made is specified by Parliament and can be found in Section 2.5 of our Freedom of Information Act Policy.
If a charge is needed, we will tell you what this will be before the information is provided. We may need this payment before we can provide the information.
Charges may be made for actual costs incurred such as:
- photocopying
- postage and packaging
- the costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information
Copyright
The information we provide to you is copyrighted to NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and provided to you free of charge for your personal use or for other specific uses permitted in the Copyright Act.
If you wish to use the information we have provided for any commercial purposes including the sale of the information to a third party then, under the Regulations on the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations, you must ask us for permission to do so in respect of each specific piece of such information.
If we do grant such permission this may involve a licensing arrangement which may attract a fee. Should you wish to apply for permission for commercial re-use under the Regulations you should write to the Freedom of Information Manager at: cpicb.freedomofinformation1@nhs.net
Written requests
Information held by us, NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, that is not published under this scheme can be requested in writing. We will then consider this as a Freedom of Information request.
Feedback and Comments
If you would like to provide any feedback or comments on our publication scheme, please contact the Freedom of Information lead using this email address:
cpicb.freedomofinformation1@nhs.net
or by post to the Information Governance team:
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Gemini House,
Bartholomews Walk,
Cambridgeshire Business Park,
CB7 4EA
Further details of publication schemes in general, and details of how to contact the Information Commissioner can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website.
Information sharing
The Cambridgeshire Information Sharing Framework is an agreement between public organisations in Cambridgeshire.
The framework allows data to be shared, to improve service delivery in the area.
Find out more on the Cambridgeshire.gov website.