Freedom of Information Publication Scheme > Model Publication Scheme | Records Management
Publication Scheme
In order to comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 public sector organisations such as ours have to routinely publish information whenever possible.
The Information Commissioner, who is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, has drawn up what is called a Model Publication Scheme for all public sector organisations which we have decided to adopt and formally commit to. The Commissioner has also published a ‘Definition Document for NHS Organisations ' which sets out in some detail what his minimum expectations are as far as we are concerned.
We have reviewed the information we routinely put into the public domain to ensure we are compliant with the Definition document. You will be able to see where we don’t hold relevant information or where for some reason we have decided not to routinely disclose information identified in the Definition document by referring to our Model Publication Scheme.
Most of the information we make routinely available can be accessed through our website, and is regularly updated. If you cannot find information through the navigation this may be because the information cannot be loaded onto our website. In such circumstances please contact: The FoI Officer, Central Services Agency, 2 Franklin Street, Belfast BT2 8DQ (email foi@csa.n-i.nhs.uk) and ask for the information to be provided to you.
Accessing information which is not included in the Publication Scheme
As an open and transparent organisation we are committed to routinely publishing as much information as possible; however if you want information which is not on our website or otherwise available through our guide to information you may ask us for it in accordance with further provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and of the Environmental Information Regulations 2005. Requests for such information should be sent to the FOI Officer, contact details above.
By law we have to deal with such requests within 20 working days. If you make a request and are not satisfied with the way in which we deal with it you may ask us to review any decision we make. If you wish us to undertake such a review you should contact the FoI Officer.
Any review will normally be under the control and direction of a senior member of staff who had no involvement in the original decision or process.
If you remain dissatisfied at the conclusion of any review you may complain to the Information Commissioner.
Fees and Charges
The Freedom of Information Act and the associated Fees Regulations stipulate that we cannot levy a fee for information unless there is a statutory basis for doing so or the amount of time taken to locate the information exceeds 18 hours. However we are allowed to charge for disbursements related to the provision of information and any reformatting requested by the applicant provided we ensure that applicants are aware of any charges which may be made.
No charges will be made for any information accessed via our website. For any information which is provided in hard copy and where there is no statutory provision for charges our rates for photocopying, reformatting and Postage will be as follows:
- Photocopying and re-formatting @ 10p per single A4 Page
- Postage at full Royal Mail charge (Pricing in Proportion) depending on the applicant's preference for 1st or 2nd Class post.
If you want any further information about the provision of information or have any difficulty accessing information provided on our website please contact the FoI Officer, contact details as above
IMPORTANT
The information contained in this publication can be made available in other languages for members of the public whose first or second language is not English. It can also be made available on request in other formats.
The material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to the Central Services Agency's copyright unless otherwise indicated. Unless expressly indicated on the material to the contrary, it may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium, provided it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading manner.
Where any of the copyright items in this Scheme are being re-published or copied to others, the source of the material must be identified and the copyright status acknowledged. Permission to reproduce material does not extend to any material accessed through the Publication Scheme that is the copyright of third parties, therefore authorisation to reproduce such material must be obtained from the copyright holders concerned.