Publication scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) was implemented from 1 January 2005 gives people the right to access information held by the Trust. Barts and The London NHS Trust has produced a Publication Scheme, which is a guide to information routinely published by the Trust.

It is a description of the information about our Trust which we make publicly available.

Trust core policies and guidance

To find out more about our policies and guidelines including information on what our policies are, please download the handbook below.

Download Trust core policy handbook.

Making a Freedom of Information (FOI) request

If the information is not in the Publication Scheme or you have any queries about FOI, you can submit an FOI request to FOI@bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk.

Whilst we always try to reply to you using email if this is your preferred method of communication, we strongly advise that you include a postal address when contacting us so that this can be used in case of delivery problems with your email service.

Alternatively you can use the following contact address:

Freedom of Information
c/o Archives and Records Centre
Barts and The London NHS Trust
Lower ground floor
9 Prescot Street
Aldgate
London
E1 8PR

Requesting your Health Records

Enquiries and applications for a copy of your own health records fall under the Data Protection Act, rather than the Freedom of Information Act.

There is a different procedure for requesting a copy of your own health records, which you can find on a different section of our website.

This section includes an application for personal information form and contact details for health records. Please click here to request a copy of your own health records.

Freedom of Information Complaints

If you have any complaints about the FOI Publication Scheme, or if you are dissatisfied with how your request has been handled or would like to formally appeal against the Trust"s response to your FOI request, you can complain in writing to:

The Information Governance Manager
Barts and The London NHS Trust
1st floor
9 Prescot Street
E1 8PR
Email:  FOI@bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk

If, after we have addressed your complaint, you remain dissatisfied with how we have responded, you are entitled to appeal to the Information Commissioner (Tel: 01625 545 745). Details are shown at www.ico.gov.uk.

Re-use of Trust information

Trust information can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act. However, providing access to information does not give an automatic right to re-use it. ‘Re-use’ can include publishing information or issuing copies to the public. Examples might be private sector companies wanting to re-publish our documents on their website as part of a commercial service, or wanting to publish our images in commercial publications.

The Public Sector Information Regulations provide a framework for public sector organisations to licence the re-use of their information, including the possibility of levying charges for re-use.

When we release information to you which you have requested under access to information legislation (such as the Freedom of Information Act), you may ask if you can re-use the information, perhaps for commercial purposes. Without the necessary permission, you can breach our copyright. It is this situation with which the regulations are concerned.

Nothing in the regulations affects rights of access under other legislation, such as Freedom of Information.

We are not obliged under the regulations to make public sector information available for re-use, but if we do so, it must be done in accordance with the regulations. In these circumstances, the regulations place the following obligations on us:

• We have 20 working days in which to respond to a request for re-use. This period may be extended where the request is extensive or complex
• A licence fee can be issued if we do not wish re-use to be free
• A licence must not restrict competition
• Exclusive licensing arrangements will not be allowed, except for the provision of a service in the public interest. Such arrangements will be published
• We should make available to the public our conditions for re-use and any standard charges for re-use
• Information for re-use should be made available electronically where possible and appropriate
• We must not discriminate between applicants making requests for re-use for comparable purposes.

Copyright

The regulations do not affect our copyright. The supply of documents and information to you by us (for example under Freedom of Information and on our website) does not give you a right to re-use them in a way that would infringe that copyright. 

Brief extracts of any material may be reproduced without our permission, under the “fair dealing” provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; for the purposes of research for non-commercial purposes; private study; criticism; review and news reporting - all subject to an acknowledgement of ourselves as the copyright owner. Wider re-use requires our permission. This applies equally to the any of the Trust’s logos.

We may choose to allow re-use under a licence, imposing conditions on the re-use of the information to ensure it is not used in a manner inconsistent with our copyright; and we may also decide to charge a re-use fee.

Charging Structure

Under Regulation 15(2) the Trust can charge sums for re-use that covers:

• The cost of collection, production, reproduction and dissemination of information; and
• A reasonable return on investment.

Because of the potential diversity of requests we have taken the view that it is not reasonably practicable to publish standard charges, but in any case the charge will not exceed the total cost of collection, production, reproduction and dissemination of the requested information together with a reasonable return on investment.

You will be advised of any charge due to be paid and the terms of a specific Licence for Re-use for Commercial Purposes will be agreed. This licence will be in line with the requirements of the Regulations and licensing terms and fees as laid down by the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI). Some licences will be free; however the Trust reserves the right, in certain circumstances, to charge a fee for the re-use of information which it deems to be of commercial value.

In calculating a license fee the Trust will take into account the following:

• The Trust's intellectual property, i.e. Information that has a commercial value. A charge for this would be determined on a case by case basis.
• Charges for staff time. An hourly charge of £25 per hour will be made in respect of the staff time in making the information available to the applicant for re-use. However, this may be subject to change dependant upon the seniority of the member of staff required to process the request.
• Charges for materials. Photocopying or printing
• Disbursements, i.e. Postage and packing

Exclusive agreements

The Trust does not hold any exclusive agreements for the re-use of information.

Applications to Re-Use Trust Information

If you wish to submit a request to re-use our information please complete the application form.

Download Application Form to re-use Trust Information.

Further information on re-using information

Guidance and more information can be found on the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website.  www.opsi.gov.uk/advice/psi-regulations/index.htm.