At the current time as CCG offices are closed, requests for information can only be processed when sent by email. Postal requests are not able to be received currently.
For Freedom of Information(FOI) requests please email: sthelensccg.foi@nhs.net
Subject access requests (SARS) can be sent for processing to: mlcsusars@nhs.net
As per the terms of the Freedom of Information Act we endeavour to have responded to you no later than 20 working days from the date received; however please note that due to the current Covid-19 pressures some responses may be delayed where staff have been redeployed to work in other areas/ within our providers. Where a 20 day response is not available we will ensure you are updated regarding revised timeframes.
The CCG places great importance on transparency and publishes as much information as possible on our website. There are a number of ways to find information out about the CCG as below - copies of all FOIs responded to by the CCG can be found at the bottom of this page:
Publications
We have adopted the Information Commissioners Office’s (ICO) Model Publication Scheme which describes the types of data we publish routinely. See our Publications page for more information. If you need information in an alternative format, we will do all we can reasonably do to help.
Our Privacy and Fair Processing Notice
This Notice explains how we will use and protect any information about you that you give us when you contact us by whatever method. Please click here for further information.
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 requires all public authorities to provide information on how our work may impact on the environment.
If you can’t find the information you are interested in on our website or through our publication scheme, you may be able to request it under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please see above for requesting information during the Covid-19 emergency.
The FOI Act requires certain information to be supplied before the organisation can respond to your request:
The organisation has a legal obligation to reply to your FOI request and, where possible, to do so within 20 working days of receipt. In replying we will do one of the following:
Your first point of contact should be the CCG directly; where you can request an internal review of your FOI request. If, after an internal review, you are still not satisfied you can then complain to the Information Commissioner (ICO). Details of how to do this are available at the ICO website. Full details of how to complain to the organisation will be included in our initial reply to your FOI request. Details of how to complain further to the Information Commissioner will be included in our response to your internal review request.
We are committed to being open however the CCG is not required to comply with these obligations where one or more of the following exemptions apply:
We may also not provide certain information based on the harm that may be caused by disclosing it. This may include for example, information related to ongoing criminal investigations, security matters or information which would impact on someone’s commercial interests. In most cases, if you request this type of data and we hold it, we must consider if it is in the public interest to disclose it. If this “public interest test” finds that there is a benefit to the public to disclose the information we must provide it.
However some information, such as national security information may be an “absolute exemption” which means we can automatically withhold the information. In these cases we may not be required to confirm or deny if we hold it.
If your request is refused, we will tell you which exemption is being applied. Where applicable we will explain why we have decided that the public interest in withholding the information or in neither confirming nor denying that we hold it, outweighs the public interest in disclosing it or confirming / denying we hold it.
Freedom of Information Act 2000: Part 2 except information contains further information on the exemptions to the act.
Our policy is to release as much information as possible without charging a fee.
However, if you are asking for a lot of material, it may be more than we can manage without it impacting on our other work. If providing the information will cost us more than £450 (or more than 18.5 hours work) we do not have to provide it. We may also charge for requests that are less than £450 but incur costs of more than £50 for photocopying, printing and posting. We may request that you pay the full cost of these activities.
Factors we are allowed to take into account in deciding whether an FOI request exceeds the cost limit are:
If your request is refused on cost grounds, we will try to advise you how best to make a fresh, narrower request that can be met within the cost limit. If we intend to request payment, we will inform you and if you do not pay within three months we do not have to provide the information.