Freedom Of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA/FOI) Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs)
Requesting Information
A significant amount of information and data on NHS Scotland activity are already publicly available through a number of different resources, and we would ask you to investigate these first before you submit a formal request under FOISA.
Please do not use the Freedom of Information process to request information about yourself.
Information on how to request personal information about yourself, or information contained in your health records, can be found at Access to Records
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde website
Information in relation to the activities of NHSGGC is published on the NHSGGC website. This includes papers and minutes presented to the NHS Board and committees, annual accounts, financial reports, policies, and other corporate information.
Public Health Scotland Data and Intelligence
Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides health information, health intelligence, statistical services and advice that support the NHS in progressing quality improvement in health and care.
Information published by PHS covers all territorial NHS Boards and encompasses a wide range of topics such as hospital activity, waiting times, cancer, emergency care, health conditions, prescribing and medicines, and quality indicators. The information is regularly updated and often includes Open Data.
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 requires us to make information available to the public. The legislation is usually referred to as ‘FOISA’ or ‘FOI’.
PLEASE NOTE – you should not request personal information about yourself under FOI. If you wish to access your health records you should do this as a subject access request under Data Protection legislation.
We include links to sites with further information about the Act and the Scottish Information Commissioner. The Commissioner handles promoting compliance with the Act.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Freedom of Information Policy
We also have our own complaints procedure. Please use this if you are dissatisfied with our response to a request you make to us for information.
Contact Us
Our Freedom of Information staff can deal with your request and give advice and assistance on how to request information.
Please do not use the Freedom of Information process to request information about yourself. Information on how to request personal information or information contained in your medical records can be found at Access to Records.
For general enquiries and other contact details, feedback or complaints please go to our Have Your Say page.
Contact the team by emailing foi@ggc.scot.nhs.uk, or write to us at:
The Freedom of Information Manager
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Board Corporate Headquarters
JB Russell House
Gartnavel Royal Hospital
1055 Great Western Road
Glasgow
G12 0XH
Further Information and resources
Guide to information and model publication scheme
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has adopted the model publication scheme which has been produced and approved by the Scottish Information Commissioner.
Adopting this scheme commits us to producing a Guide to Information Available Through The Model Publication Scheme.
It allows the public to see what information we make available and explains how to request information which has not already been published. It tells you whether information is available free, or if there is a charge for the information. Our aim is to make information we hold easily available and to explain how you may access this information.
The guide includes information about how we deliver our functions and services, how we make decisions, what we spend and how we spend it and how we are performing.
Download a copy of the guide and publication scheme in PDF format.
Alternatively contact the Freedom of Information Manager at the details below:
Email: foi@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
In writing:
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Board Corporate Headquarters
JB Russell House
Gartnavel Royal Hospital Campus
1055 Great Western Road
Glasgow
G12 0XH
How to request information
You can make a request for information held by us if you cannot find the information you are looking for on our website or through our Publication Scheme.
Your request must be in writing or another permanent form, such as email. You should include your full name and an address for correspondence. If possible include your telephone number in case we need to contact you about your request. Your request should clearly state the information you want to receive, including any date ranges.
You can make a request in one of the following ways:
Email: foi@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Write to:
The Freedom of Information Manager
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Board Corporate Headquarters
JB Russell House
Gartnavel Royal Hospital
1055 Great Western Road
Glasgow, G12 0XH
The FOI team can assist you if you need For help in making a request, or if you need more information about your rights under freedom of information legislation.
Please contact us if you would like to make a request through other means, or if you would like information sent to you in a particular format.
Environmental information
Access to environmental information is governed by the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004. Although these Regulations are slightly different from the FOI Act in Scotland, they are applied in much the same way.
Your rights under FOISA and the EIRs
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA or FOI) aims to increase openness and accountability in government and across the public sector. The Act is to make sure that people have the right to access information held by Scottish public authorities. This includes environmental information. This is covered by the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (known as the EIRs). FOI and the EIRs apply to all recorded information held by us (except for personal information).
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is a Scottish public authority for the purposes of FOI and EIR legislation.
Anyone can make a request for information held by a Scottish public authority. Information should normally be provided within 20 working days. There may be exceptions if there are specific exemptions defined by the Act which apply.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from us, or with the way that we have dealt with your request, then you have a right to ask us to review this. We have a formal procedure that we will follow in such cases, after which we will write to you to let you know the outcome.
If you are still dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner. The Commissioner will decide if further investigation is necessary.
Personal information and Accessing Health Records
Personal information, including hHealth rRecords are exempt from Freedom of Information legislation, and therefore cannot be requested under the Freedom of Information legislation(Scotland) Act.
If you wish to access your Health Records, you should contact the person responsible for managing records at the place where you have been treated. In most cases this will be the Health Records Manager if your treatment took place in a hospital, or the Practice Manager at your GP surgery. Further information on how to access health records, can be found at Access to Records.
For any other personal information held by the Board, please contact the Information Governance Team for advice:
Email: data.protection@ggc.scot.nhs.uk or
Phone: 0141 355 2059
FOI and EIR Statistics
The Scottish Information Commissioner has asked all Scottish public authorities to provide FOI and EIR statistics on a quarterly basis, from 1 April 2013. This information is publicly available on the Commissioner’s website at:
