1. What is the Publication Scheme?
The Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely published by the Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust. It is a description of the information about the Trust which is made publicly available. Under section 19(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Trust has a legal duty to produce and maintain a Publication Scheme in accordance with the guidelines set down by the Information Commissioner. The aim of the Publication Scheme is to promote greater openness and transparency by ensuring that information about the Trust is readily available and accessible to the general public.
2. Method by which information published under the Publication Scheme will be made available
The Publication Scheme will help you find all of the information that the Trust routinely publishes. It comprises of seven classes of information (known as Definition Documents) as detailed in Part Two. In order to access this information, simply click on the highlighted word(s) contained within the relevant section of the Publication Scheme. In the majority of cases, the information will be available electronically and can be downloaded from the Trust's Website. If you require a paper copy of either the Publication Scheme or a particular document posted on the Scheme, then please contact the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator, whose details are set out in Section 7 below. Please note that there may be a charge levied in respect of this service (details of which are included in Section 4 below). If you would like to inspect a particular document at the Trust's premises, then please direct your enquiry towards the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator who will make the necessary arrangements to facilitate this.
3. Method by which information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Data Protection Act 1998 and/or Environmental Information Regulations 2004 will be made available
In addition to accessing information via the Publication Scheme, you are also entitled to request information held by the Trust under the following Acts and Regulations:
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides individuals with a right of access, subject to various exemptions, to official information (such as polices and procedures) held by public authorities, of which the Trust is one.
In most circumstances, the Trust will aim to action the request within twenty working days providing that the information is not exempt from disclosure. There are twenty three exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, some of which are 'absolute' and some 'qualified'. If an exemption applies, but it is 'qualified' this means that the Trust must decide whether the public interest in exercising the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. If the Trust decides not to disclose the information, then we will advise you of this, specifying the exemption in question and why we feel it applies in these circumstances.
It is recommended that you check to see whether the information you are requesting is posted on the Publication Scheme (including the Disclosure Log) before you make a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
All requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, should either be sent in writing to:
Freedom of Information Officer
Legal Department
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Central Records Library
Bush Park
Plymouth
PL6 7RG
Direct Dial: 01752 431055
Fax : 01752 315205
or e-mailed to the following address:
plh-tr.foi-requests@nhs.net
Please note that there may be a charge levied in respect of this service (details of which are included in Section 4 below).
For further information about the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please visit the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website at www.ico.gov.uk
Data Protection Act 1998/Access to Health Records Act 1990
The Data Protection Act 1998 provides individuals with a right of access, subject to various exemptions, to personal data held on them by a Data Controller. Access to personal information pertaining to deceased individuals is dealt with under the Access to Health Records Act 1990.
All requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998/Access to Health Records Act 1990, should be sent in writing to:
Data Protection Officer
Legal Department
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Central Records Library
Bush Park
Plymouth
PL6 7RG
Direct Dial: 01752 431055
Fax : 01752 315205
Please note that there will be a charge levied in respect of this service (details of which are available on request).
For further information about the Data Protection Act 1998, please visit the ICO website at www.ico.gov.uk
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 provide individuals with a right of access, subject to various exceptions, to environmental information held by public authorities.
Environmental information includes information on:
- The state of the elements of the environment;
- Factors, such as emissions and discharges, energy, noise and waste, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment;
- Measures and activities, such as policies, plans and programmes, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment;
- Cost benefit and other economic analyses used within the framework of the measures and activities referred to above;
- Reports on the implementation of environmental legislation and
- Health and saftey issues.
The process for requesting information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 is the same as the process for requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please note that there may be a charge levied in respect of this service (details of which are included in Section 4 below).
For further information about the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, please visit the ICO website at www.ico.gov.uk
4. Charges which may be made for information published under either the Publication Scheme or disclosed via the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Data Protection Act 1998 and/or Environmental Information Regulations 2004
Schedule of charges:
|
Type of Information |
Charge £* |
| Published Information |
| Information obtained via the Trust's Website (including the Publication Scheme) |
Free of charge |
| Single page printouts produced from the Trust's Website |
Free of charge |
| Multiple page printouts produced from the Trust's Website |
0.25 per sheet |
| Leaflets, brochures and 'glossy' publications |
Free of charge |
| Photographic images |
7.50 per image |
| Information supplied via CD or DVD |
25.00 per recording |
| Archived information which is no longer available on the Trust's Website |
Available on request |
| Inspection of documents at the Trust's premises |
Free of charge |
| |
| Information requested under section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 |
| Information supplied under the 2000 Act where a Fees Notice has been issued by the Trust |
Specified within the Fees Notice** |
| Information supplied under the 2000 Act where a Fees Notice has not been issued by the Trust |
Free of charge |
| |
| Information requested under section 7(1)(c) of the Data Protection Act 1998/Access to Health Records Act 1990 |
| Information supplied under the 1998/1990 Act |
See Charges relating to the Disclosure of Health Records |
| |
| Information requested under section 5(1) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 |
| Information supplied under the 2004 Regulations where an Advance Payment Notice has been issued by the Trust |
Specified within the Advance Payment Notice*** |
| Information supplied under the 2004 Regulations where an Advance Payment Notice has not been issued by the Trust |
Free of charge |
* If a charge is to be made, then payment will be requested and collected prior to the information being disclosed.
** In the event that it is estimated that the labour costs incurred in actioning the request will exceed £450.00 (based on a rate of £25.00 per person per hour), the Trust will either issue a Fees Notice or exercise its right not to action the request under section 12(1) of the 2000 Act.
*** An Advance Payment Notice will be issued under the same circumstances as a Fees Notice.
5. Complaints
If you wish to complain about any of the services mentioned above, then please write to:
Complaints Manager
Patient and Consumer Affairs Department
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Level 7
Derriford Hospital
Derriford Road
Plymouth
PL6 8DH
Telephone: (01752) 792648
Facsimile: (01752) 775743
6. Feedback
If you have any comments about the Publication Scheme, or if you have any difficulty in accessing any of the information posted on the Scheme, then please contact the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator, whose details are shown below.
7. Publication Scheme Co-ordinator
Our Publication Scheme Co-ordinator is:
Legal Department
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Central Records Library
Bush Park
Plymouth
PL6 7RG
Direct Dial: 01752 431055
Fax : 01752 315205
E-mail:
plh-tr.foi-requests@nhs.net