FOI – Freedom of Information

If you wish to make a request for Information from the Health Services Authority, please look around this website and research whether the information you need is already published.

All request for information that is not currently available through our website must be in writing, which includes email and should include the contact details of the person requesting the information.

We may need to contact you to ask you for further clarification to help us provide you with the information you have requested. In compliance with the Freedom of Information Law, HSA will aim to respond to all request for information within 30 working days from the date we receive your written request.

You can submit your FOI application request online.

The Freedom of Information Act does not change your right to confidentiality. Therefore your personal data is still protected and will not be shared with anyone who is not entitled to it.

The HSA will make every effort to provide you with the information you request, however, we can only release information that we believe will not cause significant harm, for example to national security or the ability to enforce the law. In such cases, the information will be withheld under an appropriate exemption of the code of practice.

If this happens we will let you know why we are unable to release the information and tell you how to appeal against the HSA decision.

In any case, where a request for information is denied, it may be possible to appeal against this decision. In the first instance, we would want any such appeals to be referred for an in-house review by the Authority, but there will also be a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner.

A Class of Information held is a way of collecting together similar types of information. The Health Services Authority has grouped its Classes of Information into broad categories (or functions) which reflect the Authority’s outputs. If you are intending to make a request, the following grouping of information should give you an indication of where the information may be found:

Function: Medical Facilities

• Advice
• Ambulance maintenance
• Auditing
• Clinic Administration
• Hazardous waste management
• Hospital Administration
• Medical equipment maintenance
• Planning
• Policy
• Reporting

Function: Medical Care

• Patient Services
• Visiting Specialist Services
• Medical Testing
• Oversees Medical Referral
• Pharmacy Services
• Planning
• Policy
• Reporting

Function: Medical Training

• Programme development
• Programme administration
• Planning
• Policy
• Reporting

Function: Public Health

• Advice
• Control
• Investigation
• Monitoring
• Programme administration
• Pregnancy and postnatal care
• Planning
• Policy
• Reporting

Function: Forensic Medicine

• Autopsy
• DNA analysis
• Drug analysis
• Fire debris analysis
• Planning
• Policy
• Reporting
• Toxicology examination
• Trace evidence analysis

Function: Medical Liaison

• Internal Relationships
• Private sector collaboration
• Regional organizations
• Planning
• Reporting

Function: Secretariat Support

• Advising
• Arrangements
• Establishment
• Proceedings
• Reporting
• Research & Development

There shall be no fee for inspection of a FOI record within a public authority. However, a requestor may be required to pay reproduction and disbursement costs. Details concerning costs and payment are contained in the FOI Regulations. Follow this link to the FOI website www.foi.gov.ky.

The applicant will be informed in writing of any fees payable. The 30 working day deadline for responses will be frozen until any fee required is paid. If the fee is not paid within 3 months it will be assumed the applicant no longer requires the information and the request will be void.