Making a Freedom of Information request
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives you the right to obtain information held by public authorities, unless there are good reasons to keep it confidential.
If you would like to make a freedom of information request, you can do it by emailing dgft.foi@nhs.net or by writing to:
Information Governance Manager
Trust Headquarters, 2nd Floor, South Block
Russells Hall Hospital
Dudley
DY1 2HQ
Please do not request patient/person identifiable information via this route; please use the Accessing your Medical Records page.
After a request is made, you will receive an acknowledgement of your request, including a reference number. The Trust will reply to you within 20 working days.
The reply may:
- Give you the information you’ve asked for
- Tell you the Trust doesn’t hold the information
- Tell you that another authority holds the information
- Say that the Trust has the information and offer to provide it on payment of a fee. You will be issued a fees notice within 20 working days of receipt of the request. When you are issued the fees notice, the 20-working day limit for responding stops and will start again when the Trust receives the payment. If they do not receive the fee within three months, the Trust is not obliged to comply with the request
- Refuse to give you the information, together with an explanation why
- Say that it needs more time to consider the public interest and inform you when to expect a response. This should not be later than 40 working days after the date of your request. It can only extend the time limit in certain circumstances and it must explain why it thinks the information may be exempt
Access to Data Protection Documents
Data Protection and Confidentiality Policies and Data Privacy Impact Assessments may be made avalible on request via our freedom of information process. Please email dgft.foi@nhs.