Urgent help

Freedom of Information (FOI)

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives everyone the right to request written or recorded information we hold.

Our duty to you

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 requires us to:

  • Provide information to you about Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board through a Publication Scheme
  • Provide a guide to the information within the Publication Scheme
  • Respond appropriately to requests for information.

Before you request information

We want to be as transparent as possible, so before you submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, please check our website to see if we have already published the information you require.

You can use our Publication Scheme to learn more about us and to find key documents and information that are already publicly available about us.

Who can request information?

Anyone, anywhere in the world, can make a FOI request to Norfolk and Suffolk ICB.

What can I request?

You can seek any recorded information that you think the ICB may hold.

If the information is environmental, we will respond in accordance with the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004. You do not have to know whether the information you want is covered by the EIR or the FOI Act. When you make a request, we will assess and decide which law applies.

If the information is your own personal data, then you should make a subject access request under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, and not under the FOI Act.

How do I request information?

If you are unable to find the information you are looking for on our Publication Scheme webpage and wish to submit a Freedom of Information request, please contact us via post or email via the details below.

Freedom of Information Contact Information

Email :
[email protected]
Postal Address:

NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board
County Hall, Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DH

What information must I include in my request?

The FOI Act requires certain information to be supplied before the ICB can respond to your request:

You must include:

  • your real name –requests submitted under a pseudonym are not valid and will not receive a reply
  • your address (email addresses are acceptable)
  • a description of the information you wish to obtain
  • any preferences for the format in which you wish to receive the information e.g. electronic or hard copy. We will try to meet your preferences but cannot guarantee that we will be able to.

You do not need to:

  • mention the FOI Act, although it may help to do so
  • know whether the information is covered by the FOI Act or the Environmental Information Regulations Act, as we will decide this
  • say why you want the information
  • specify particular documents, because you have a right to information in any way that it is recorded.

How should I word my request?

Guidance on submitting effective requests for information is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office. Some brief guidance to help you get the most out of your request can be found below:

Do

  • state the information you want clearly. Be clear about date ranges or timescales. If it is not clear what you are requesting, we may need further details from you
  • be as specific as possible. If your request is too general, it may be refused on the grounds that replying would exceed the cost limit laid down in the Fees Regulations, which is equivalent to one person working for three and a half days. If this happens, we will ask you to re-submit a more specific request which could be met within the cost limits. We will give you advice and assistance to be able to do this
  • ask questions such as “what” or “how much” as this is much more likely to result in a useful response
  • use straightforward, polite language.

Do not

  • use open-ended questions such as “why”.  We do not have to answer your question if this would mean creating new information or giving an opinion or judgment that is not already recorded
  • base your request on assumptions or opinions
  • mix your request with complaints or comments.

What happens when my request is received?

We have a legal obligation to reply to your FOI request and must do so within 20 working days of receipt. We will do one of the following:

  • supply you with the information you requested
  • inform you that we don’t hold the information and, if we are able, advise you who does
  • inform you that your request will exceed the cost limit specified in the Fees Regulations and invite you to submit a narrower request
  • inform you that we hold the information requested but refuse to provide all or part of it and explain why, citing one or more of the exemptions from the FOI Act
  • inform you that we are refusing your request on the basis it is repeated or vexatious
  • inform you that we need more time to consider the public interest test in relation to your request and let you know when to expect a further response. This should not be later than 40 working days after receipt of your request.

What can I do if I am unhappy with the reply I receive or the way my request was handled?

You can ask us for an internal review of your FOI request. When you write to us requesting an internal review, we will acknowledge your request and tell you how long we think the review will take. We aim to complete internal reviews within 20 working days, although cases that are complicated may take longer. Where internal reviews go over 20 working days, we will keep you informed of progress.

If, after an internal review, you are still unhappy, you can complain to the Information Commissioner (ICO). Details of how to do this are available at the ICO website.

Details of how to complain further to the Information Commissioner will be included in our response to your internal review request.