The purpose of the Act Freedom of Information Act 2000 is to promote openness by public authorities by increasing transparency and accountability, and improving decision making.
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust is a public authority, so we have a legal duty to adopt and maintain a scheme for the publication of information. Any person who makes a request for information to the Trust will be informed if we hold the information and be supplied with a copy of it if requested, unless an exemption applies.
Under Freedom of Information, public authorities are required to publish and maintain a publication scheme. The publication scheme is a list of the information held by the organisation, which is routinely available. It sets out the classes of information held and how it can be accessed. The purpose of the scheme is to enable significant amounts of information to be made available without the need for a specific request. Bolton NHS Foundation Trust aims to make much of the information it holds available online.
Over the next few months the publication schemes of NHS Bolton and Royal Bolton Hospital will be merged together. Any requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act can be sent to either foi@boltonft.nhs.uk or by post to the Freedom of Information Co-ordinator, Lady Tong, Royal Bolton Hospital, Minerva Road, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 0JR.