What does the Freedom of Information Act do?

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act gives everyone the right to get information from public authorities. Public authorities include hospitals, health centres, health boards, health agencies, local Councils etc – therefore, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service HPSS Trust comes under the FOI Act. The FOI Act means that, from 1 January 2005, you will be able to get information to understand better how NIAS works, how we spend public money, and how and why we make our decisions.

You can also get information under:

The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) which, among other things, gives everyone access to their own personal information. The DPA cover businesses as well as public authorities.
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) which gives people access to environmental information. Like the FOI, it is limited to information held by public authorities. Information on EIR is available from the Northern Ireland Information Commissioner

What new “rights” does the Act create?

The FOI Act gives two related rights:

The right to be told if the information exists, and;
The right to receive the information (subject to exemptions).

Who can apply for information?

Any person, from anywhere. There are no limitations to whom can make a request or no limit as to country of residence.

Do I have to request information in a certain format?

The request must be in writing (e-mails are acceptable) and must include:

A clear description of the information requested;
A physical return address eg name and address.

Of course - contact telephone numbers, e-mails addresses etc would also be useful but not legally required to make a request.

How do I get information about NIAS under the FOI Act?

You can get information by going to the “Publication Scheme” sub-section, so check if what you want is there or alternatively check in the Published Information section. You can download a lot of information free of charge but if what you want isn’t there or cannot be downloaded, contact:

FOI Co-Ordinator
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.
Ambulance Headquarters,
Site 30,
Knockbracken Healthcare Park,
Saintfield Road,
Belfast,
BT8 8SG

Telephone No: (028) 9040 0710
Fax No: (028) 9040 0901
E-mail: foi@niamb.co.uk

Can I have any information at all?

The FOI Act allows you access to almost all information that a public body holds. But there are some things that cannot be given to the public. Examples include - information about national security, law enforcement or personal information about others.

Will I be able to obtain personal information about myself under the Act?

Requests for personal information will be dealt with under the Data Protection Act

Does the Act only apply to records created from 1 January 2005?

No – the Act is fully retrospective. However, NIAS has a Disposal Policy as part of our records management control, so some information will only be retained for a certain amount of time.

How long does it take to get information?

Once a written request for information is received, we have 20 working days to respond – although the time can be extended in some cases. Working days generally means Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays. Sometime we might need to contact you so we are sure about what you want. It will help if you can be as clear as possible in your request about what you want.

Is there a cost for getting information?

As a general rule, costs will depend on how much information is requested. If it costs us less than £450 to gather the information together, it will usually be provided to you free of charge, although there may be a charge for things like photocopying and postage.

If gathering the information you want is likely to cost more than £450, we do not have to provide it, even if you agree to pay the extra costs. In most cases though, we will provide it once you have paid the costs. The exception to this is EIR information. If the cost to gather EIR information is more than £450 and you are prepared to pay those costs, we must gather it for you.

What happens if the information I want is not available?

The FOI Act does not require us to gather information that is not already there – but we are required to assist you with your request. We will contact you and tell you want information we do hold that might help answer your query.

What if I am refused information?

We will tell you if information is being withheld and why. We will also tell you who to contact if you are not happy. And you can contact the Northern Ireland Information Commissioner (make link). But you are required to contact us first to try and sort the matter out before contacting the Information Commissioner. The Commissioner will want to see proof of that before getting involved. So do get in touch with us if you are not happy and tell us why you believe we are wrongly withholding information from you.

Where can I get more information about the FOI Act?

You can get more information about FOI from the Northern Ireland Information Commissioner. The Commissioner’s contact details are:

Website: www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Tele No: (028) 9051 1200
Fax No: (028) 9051 1584
E-mail: ni@ico.gsi.gov.uk

Information Commissioner’s Office (Northern Ireland)
Room 101,
Regus House,
33 Clarendon Dock,
Laganside,
Belfast,
BT1 3BG

Useful Links

Department of Health for Northern Ireland ( www.dhsspsni.gov.uk )
Information commissioner for Northern Ireland ( www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk )
Department for Constitutional Affairs ( www.dca.gov.uk )
Public Records Office for Northern Ireland ( www.proni.gov.uk )