The Freedom of Information Act promotes greater openness, accountability and transparency across the public sector. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities. The Act gives individuals the right to be told whether particular information exists and the right to receive the information.

>> submit a freedom of information request online.

Our obligation to publish information

As a public authority, NHS Leicester City is required under the Freedom of Information Act to produce and maintain a publication scheme through which information must be made available.

In July 2008 the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) introduced a new model publication scheme that all public sector organisations were required to adopt from 1 January 2009. The model publication scheme lists classes of information that public authorities would normally hold. Those classes are:

Who we are and what we do
Organisational information, locations and contacts, constitutional and legal governance.

What we spend and how we spend it
Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, tendering, procurement and contracts.

What our priorities are and how we are doing
Strategy and performance information, plans, assessments, inspections and reviews.

How we make decisions
Policy proposals and decisions. Decision making processes, internal criteria and procedures, consultations.

Advice and guidance, booklets and leaflets, transactions and media releases. A description of the services offered.

We have assessed these requirements against our web content, and believe that we routinely make available such information on these pages. It can be found by using the navigation bars and the search facility. Such information is continually updated. If you cannot find information through the search engine, and it is information which is normally routinely available, this may be because the information cannot be loaded onto our website. In such circumstances please submit a freedom of information request.

The classes of information available will not generally include:

 Information the disclosure of which is prevented by law, or exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, or is otherwise properly considered to be protected from disclosure

 Information in draft form

 Information that is no longer readily available as it is contained in files that have been placed in archive storage, or is difficult to access for similar reasons

 the information is not held

 the information is exempt from disclosure, for instance personal data or commercial interest or

 the NHS Leicester City cannot easily access the information.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in response to your request and wish to make a complaint or appeal against our decision, you should complain in writing and address it to:

Associate Director of Corporate Governance/Company Secretary, NHS Leicester City, St John's House, 30 East Street, Leicester LE1 6NB

Your complaint will be acknowledged and we will, in most circumstances, complete our review and notify you of our decision within 20 working days. If you are then not content with the outcome of our internal review and complaints procedure, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot look at your case unless you have exhausted our own internal review and complaints procedure.

You can write to the Information Commissioner's Office at:
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

You can also call the Information Commissioner's Office helpline number: 01625 545 700

If you cannot find what you are looking for, or to request information that is not online, or you require access to information in a form other than which it is published, please contact our Freedom of Information Co-ordinator.