Freedom of Information

We have split the information into the following categories: 

In this section you will find information about how the organisation handles your data, GDPR and regular newsletters that we release.

• Privacy Statement

Who we are and what we do

• About us
• What we do
• Our Aim, Purpose and Commitments
• The Board
• Board and Divisional Structure
• How we Fit in the NHS? - This provides a link to the full list of NHS Trusts.

What we spend and how we spend it

A key part of the government's Transparency agenda is the opening up of data held by government bodies, including NHS organisations. In summary, the Trust is required to publish all expenditure over £25,000 on an ongoing basis, on the 15th working day of each month.

Please see below a link to the data.gov.uk pages for expenditure over £25,000. The data within these documents is published on a monthly basis which includes all expenditure to a supplier which reaches an accumulative total spend of £25,000 or more. The documents are provided in CSV format and may take some time to load

Click here to view the information.

Annual Accounts - The Annual Accounts are integrated as part of the Annual Report. The first Annual Accounts will be for the financial year ending on March 31st 2021. 

What are our Priorities

Within this section you will find information about strategies and plans, performance indicators, audit, inspections and reviews.

• Our Vision and Values

How we make Decisions

Information within this section will link to the Trust's decision making process

• The Board
• Safeguarding
• Constitution

Our Policies and Procedures

This section will include current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities.

View the Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust  Policies and Procedures.

Lists and Registers

This section will include any information we are currently required to hold in publicly available registers.

• Register of Gifts and Hospitality
• Register of Interests
• Asset Registers - These are held by the Information Governance Manager. If you would like access to these please contact dihc

The Services We Offer

This section identifies information about the services that the organisation offers.

• Continuing Healthcare
• Dudley Talking Therapies
• Pensnett Assessment Centre
• Primary Care Mental Health Service
• High Oak Surgery
• Pharmaceutical Public Health

Environmental Information

This section will provide information available under the Environmental Information Regulations 2000.

• Carbon Management Programme
• Our Carbon Footprint

Welcome to the disclosure log, this section will provide an overview of information that has been disclosed via direct Freedom of Information Requests. We aim to publish any information released which has a high public interest value, information which has been publicised by the media and other publication organisations. Any information which has been requested on multiple occasions will also be highlighted within the disclosure log.

• Finance
• IT Services
• Estates and Facilities
• Mental Health
• Data Quality
• Human Resources
• Policies and Procedures

What should I do if I cannot find what I want?

If you are unable to find the information you want within our publication scheme, you can request the information under the Freedom of Information Act by putting your request in writing to:

You should make sure that you include your name, contact details, and a description of the information you want. You should try to describe the information you want in as much detail as possible.

Who can request information?

Everyone has the right to request information held by public sector organisations. You can ask for any information at all, but some information might be withheld to protect various interests which are allowed for by the Act. If this is case we have to tell you why we've withheld the information.

Can someone ask for my information under Freedom of Information?

The Freedom of Information Act does not affect someone’s legal right to patient confidentiality in accordance with Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention, the Data Protection Act, and common law. Protecting a patient’s legal right to confidentiality continues to be a responsibility we take very seriously. This is why we’ve appointed a member of the Board to make sure that protection of patient confidentiality is maintained throughout the organisation, in accordance with people’s legal rights.

Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust routinely receives requests from companies and individuals asking for information linked to patients who may have died without a will or where there is no known next of kin.
In line with published guidance the organisation will not release the names of the deceased in accordance with section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act, “information provided in confidence”.

The organisation’s explanation of the use of the FOIA exemption at section 41 is as follows:
The information that has been requested is held within each individual’s Health Record. The identity of the individual was provided by the individual for the purpose of their health care (in this case mental health) in the belief that it would be held in confidence, even after death. Disclosing this information and other information directly relating to the deceased individual that forms part of their Health Record could result in an actionable breach of confidence by any representative of the person or any relative, should one exist, who was unknown at the time of being passed to the Treasury Solicitor.

In addition, it is Department of Health and General Medical Council policy that records relating to deceased people should be treated with the same level of confidentiality as those relating to living people. Access to the health records of a deceased person is governed by the Access to Health Records Act 1990. Under this legislation when a patient has died, only their personal representative or executor or administrator or anyone having a claim resulting from the death (this could be a relative or another person), has the right to apply for access to the deceased’s health records.

Reference is made to the case of Bluck and Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust, where the Information Tribunal found that doctors have a duty of confidence even after a patient has deceased because this is necessary to ensure that patients feel confident in sharing all relevant information when alive and thereby obtain appropriate medical care. Were any information to be disclosed about the patient after death, this will deter patients from sharing information and therefore frustrate the purpose of the duty of confidence. 

Can I access my records under Freedom of Information?

No, the Freedom of Information Act does not allow you to access your records. However the Data Protection Act 2018 does provide you the right to access your information. If you would like to access any information that the organisation may hold about you, you can request this by writing to:

You should make sure that you include your name, contact details, NHS number (if known) and a description of the information you want.

What is a Publication Scheme?

The Publication Scheme is a guide to the information routinely published by Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS. It holds readily accessible information, and we will review the Scheme at regular intervals.

What is a Disclosure Log?

The Disclosure Log provides an overview of previous freedom of information requests and the information that has been released.

Please view the Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust Privacy Statement.