Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was passed on 30 November 2000. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, with full access granted in January 2005. The Act sets out exemptions to that right and places certain obligations on public authorities.

FOI replaced the Open Government Code of practice, which has been in operation since 1994.

Data Protection and FOI – how do the two interact?

The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force on 1 March 2000. It provides living individuals with a right of access to personal information held about them. The right applies to all information held in computerised form and also to non-computerised information held in filing systems structured so that specific information about particular individuals can retrieved readily.

Individuals already have the right to access information about themselves (personal data), which is held on computer and in some paper files under the Data Protection Act 1998.

The right also applies to those archives that meet these criteria. However, the right is subject to exemptions, which will affect whether information is provided. Requests will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

The Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor’s Department. A few of its strategic objectives being:

To improve people’s knowledge and understanding of their rights and responsibilities
Seeking to encourage an increase in openness in the public sector
Monitoring the Code of practice on Access to Government Information
Developing a data protection policy which properly balances personal information privacy with the need for public and private organisations to process personal information

The Data Protection Act does not give third parties rights of access to personal information for research purposes.

The FOI Act does not give individuals access to their personal information, though if a request is made, the Data Protection Act gives the individual this right. If the individual chooses to make this information public it could be used alongside non-personal information gained by the public under the terms of the FOI Act.

To view please click on the link.

Noticeboard

Travel Clinics

Due to a shortage of nursing staff, we have been forced to postpone the prevision of travel advice and giving travel related vaccinations. There are a number of local private travel health centres.

NEW LOOK MONDAYS

At the moment we are going to trial a triage system for those patients wishing to book an appointment on the day to see a GP. This will ONLY be at Delapre for the period of the trial.

If you wish to see a doctor, brief details will be taken (if you are willing) and passed to Dr Barrowclough, who will call you back and discuss your case. If it is possible to give you self-treatment advice or agree that it is better that you see someone later on that day or on a different day, he will make the appointment.

Change to Opening Hours

For the next few months, Whitefields will close to patients at 5pm on Mondays and Fridays. The Duty doctor will be available but based at Delapre.

Virtual Patient Reference Group

The practice is setting up a virtual Patient Reference Group to run alongside our Patient Participation Group - Please see the Reference Group page below for more details on how to join.