Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act came into force on 1 January 2005. The Act deals with access to official information.

The Act provides individuals or organisations with the right to request information held by a public authority. These requests must be made in writing, either by letter or by email. For Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trusts letters should be sent to:

Freedom of Information
Information Governance Service 

NHS South of Tyne and Wear
Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
Pemberton House
Sunderland Enterprise Park
Sunderland
SR5 3XB

The address for emails is FOI@sotw.nhs.uk. 

FOI Documentation

• Freedom of Information Policy
• FOI Access Procedures

Published information on our website

In order to keep requests to a minimum the Trust automatically publishes a wide range of information on its web-site. In the first instance please search for the information you are looking for on this website.

To assist you in finding the information you require we have prepared a list of items in the form of:

If you cannot find the information you need

If you are unable to find the information you are looking for then, following receipt of your written request, we will tell you if the information is held and will normally supply it within 20 working days in the format requested. However, under the following circumstances, the Trust does not have to confirm or deny the existence of the information:-

•  if an exemption applies 
•  if the request is vexatious or similar to a previous request  
•  if the cost of compliance exceeds an appropriate limit  

Should any of these cases apply the Trust will advise you in writing.  

If you are dissatisfied with our response

If you are unhappy with a refusal to disclose information you should firstly complain to the Trust. If you continue to be dissatisfied with the response you can then appeal to the Information Commissioner who will investigate the case and either agree with the Trust's decision or decide that the information must be disclosed.

The address for the Information Commissioner is:-

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Patient confidentiality and access to your records

Maintaining the legal right to patient confidentiality continues to be an important commitment on our part.

The Freedom of Information Act does not change the right of patients to protection of their patient confidentiality in accordance with Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention, the Data Protection Act and at common law. Maintaining the legal right to patient confidentiality continues to be an important commitment on our part. To help with this, we have appointed someone who is called a Caldicott Guardian, and who has responsibility to ensure the protection of patient confidentiality throughout the Trusts in accordance with your legal rights. In Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trusts, our Caldicott Guardian is:

Dr Mike Prentice
Medical Director and Caldicott Guardian
Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
Pemberton House
Sunderland Enterprise Park
Sunderland
SR5 3XB

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you are entitled to access your own clinical records and you can do this by setting out the information you want in writing to:

Data Protection Officer
Information Governance Service
NHS South of Tyne and Wear
Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
Pemberton House
Sunderland Enterprise Park
Sunderland
SR5 3XB

E-mail: data.protection@sotw.nhs.uk

Questions, comments or complaints

Any questions, comments or complaints about the way in which the Trust publishes information and responds to requests under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act should be sent in writing to:

Chief Executive
NHS South of Tyne and Wear
Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
Pemberton House
Sunderland Enterprise Park
Sunderland
SR5 3XB

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