This section is designed to meet your rights under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Freedom of Information Act gives you the legal power to request any information that the Trust holds. This may be minutes of meetings, access to services requirements or how the Trust has spent money. The purpose of the Act is to promote greater openness by public authorities, of which The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one. If you are looking for a specific piece of information about the Trust or about yourself, this section will also provide you with the contact details and explain how you can gain access to certain types of information.
The Freedom of Information Act does not change the right of patients to protection of their information in accordance with Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998, the General Data Protection Regulations 2016, Data Protection Act 2018 and in common law. Maintaining the legal right to patient confidentiality continues to be an important commitment on our part.
What is a Publication Scheme?
Under Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Trust has a legal duty to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme. The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) are responsible for monitoring and enforcing the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The ICO has drawn up what is called a Model Publication Scheme as guidance for all public sector organisations which has 7 classes of information.
This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely published by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. It is a description of information about our Trust which we make publicly available. We shall review the Scheme at regular intervals and monitor how it is operating. Please note, whilst we are trying to ensure as much information is available, we are still required to consider any of the exemptions for release under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We have ensured most of the information is routinely available. However, should you not locate what you are looking for, please contact the Trusts Freedom of Information Officer;
Freedom of Information Officer
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
Governance and Legal Department
The New Cross Hospital
Wolverhampton
WV10 0QP
Email: rwh-tr.foi@nhs.net
What is a Disclosure Log?
The Disclosure Log provides an overview of previous freedom of information requests and the information that has been released. See our Disclosure Log.
How Do I Make an FOI Request?
The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has recently released some guidance on FOI and the Coronavirus (COVID-19). They have advised that they recognise the unprecedented challenges we are all facing during the Coronavirus (COVID019) pandemic and how resources are being diverted away from their usual roles to assist. Therefore, they are expecting organisations to take a measured approach to how they respond to FOIs and will not penalised for any delays on responses. This guidance is available on the ICO website
The Publication Scheme explains what information we provide to the public, and wherever possible we will make it easy for you to access, it is categorised into 7 classes.
You can make a request to The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust through a variety of ways:
- You can post your request to:
Freedom of Information Coordinator
Governance and Legal Services Department
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
New Cross Hospital
Wolverhampton
WV10 0QP - You can email our FOI Lead directly:
rwh-tr.foi@nhs.net
- All media requests should be directed to the Head of Communications
After a request is made you will receive an acknowledgement of your request including a reference number should you need to contact us further, the Freedom of Information Coordinators will then obtain the information (if the Trust holds it) and ensure that it is available for disclosure.
How Do I Access My Own records?
Under the General Data Protection Regulations 2016 and Data Protection Act 2018, you are also entitled to access your clinical records or any other personal information held about you. To do this contact:
Health Records Access Team
Health Records Department
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
New Cross Hospital
Wolverhampton
WV10 0QP
Email: rwh-tr.healthrecordsaccess@nhs.net
Telephone: 01902 695544
Feedback
As the Publication Scheme is for you, whether you are someone who uses our services, a carer, member of staff or a member of the public, it is important to us that we receive feedback from you. We welcome suggestions about how this Scheme and the publications themselves might be improved.
If you need any help in accessing the documents listed in this Publication Scheme, or have any questions, comments or suggestions about this Scheme, please write to the Freedom of Information Coordinator at the address listed above.
