Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act (2000) gives any person the legal right to ask for and be given any information which is held by a public authority. This includes the National Health Service.
The main features of the Act are:
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a general right of access from 1 January 2005 to recorded information held by public authorities, subject to certain conditions and exemptions;
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in cases where information is exempted from disclosure, except where an absolute exemption applies, a duty on public authorities to:
(i) inform the applicant whether they hold the information requested, and
(ii) communicate the information to him or her,
unless the public interest in maintaining the exemption in question outweighs the public interest in disclosure;
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a duty on every public authority to adopt and maintain a PublicationScheme, specifically applicable to the NHS from 31 October 2003;
For detailed information about your rights and responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act, please visit the NHS or Department of Constitutional Affairs web pages.
You can also visit the Freedom of Information pages on your local NHS Trust's website:
South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust