Beaumont Hospital promotes a culture of openness and transparency. The Freedom of Information Act 2014 asserts the rights of the public to obtain access to official information to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the public interest and the right to privacy of individuals.
The FOI / Data Access department processes Freedom of Information requests, data access requests and death notifications.
If you wish to get a copy of your own records you can send your request in writing or complete the subject access request form
Your request needs to contain the following:
You can send your request to us by email or by post
We will try to have your records ready for you in 30 days. We will send you an acknowledgement letter when we start to process your request with an indication of the timeframe. Please give us as much notice as possible.
Your records will be emailed/or posted to you at the email/address you have provided.
Generally, it is free of charge to obtain a copy of your medical records. We may charge a reasonable fee when a request is excessive or repetitive. We may also charge a reasonable fee for requests for further copies of the same information.
The Freedom of Information Act 2014 gives you the right to access records held by the FOI body.
If you have not been provided with the information you have requested, the FOI body must give you an explanation, and this must normally be made within 4 weeks (20 working days). There may be certain conditions when the deadline can be extended for a further 4 weeks.
You can Request for any of the following.
If you are not satisfied with the decision made by the FOI Body, you can seek an internal review of the decision which is a complete and new review of your request by someone more senior. The name of the internal reviewer will be provided on the final decision letter to you. If you are still not satisfied you can appeal this decision to the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Personal Information can also be obtained by making a Subject Access Request. See how to apply for your records HERE
Your application must be in writing stating that the information is being sought under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2014. You may submit your request by using the standard FOI Application Form, by writing to us or by email.
It is important to provide as much information as possible in your application.
When seeking your own personal information, you will be required to prove your identity and will be requested to provide a copy of your Driving Licence, Passport or other form of identification. Please include a copy of this identification with any personal information FOI requests.
If you are a member of staff from another hospital/health agency requesting information on a Beaumont Hospital Patient, please contact the clinical speciality in question - See here for a list of specialties.
If you require further advice or assistance with your FOI request please contact the FOI office.
If you wish to request a copy of personal information on behalf of a deceased relative or for a person who is incapacitated, or a minor you will need to complete an FOI 3rd Party request Form (Insert Link here).
You will also be required to provide other documentation to verify your identity and your relationship with the person you are requesting the information on. The application form will give you more details.
Legislation for requesting information
The Freedom of Information Act 1997 as amended by the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act 2003 continues to apply to any FOI request made before the new Act came into effect. It also applies to any subsequent review or appeal.
On 14 October 2014, the Freedom of Information Act 2014 ("the Act") came into effect. The new Act introduced a number of changes to the Freedom of Information (FOI) scheme. The Freedom of Information Act 2014 provides that every person has the following legal rights:
Any person may make an FOI Request under the Act. The public body in question must normally respond within 2 weeks (10 working days) with an acknowledgment of the request, and with a final reply within the 4 weeks (20 working days) following receipt of the request.
In the case of large and/or complex requests this timeframe may be extended by a further 4 weeks. In the case of requests for Personal Information, the processing of the FOI request will not commence until the required I.D or other verification documents have been received from the Requester.
Under the FOI Act 2014 the Decision Maker may grant full access, may refuse access or provide partial access to the information requested based on specific exemption detailed within the FOI Act 2014.
Under the Act, you can appeal an FOI body's decision – initially to an Internal Reviewer and if not satisfied you can make an appeal to the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Personal Information – There is no charge for requests for Personal Information/Records, unless there are a significant volume of records.
Non-Personal Information - Section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 provides for fees and charges for Non Personal Information.
* There are no fees where you appeal a decision to charge a fee or deposit, or a fee or deposit of a specific amount.
** Reduced fees will apply in respect of medical card holders and third parties who appeal a decision to release their information on public interest grounds. No fees apply where the request or internal review involves access to your personal records.
Charges may be applied by the body for the time spent searching for and retrieving records, and for any copying costs incurred in providing requesters with the copies of the records requested. Charges will not be applied in respect of personal records, except perhaps where a large number of records are involved.
If the cost of search, retrieval and copying is €100 or less, under the Act no fee is applicable. If the charge exceeds €100, full fees will be requested. The maximum charge for any one request most not exceed €500, however if the estimated cost of search, retrieval and copying is more than €700 the request can be refused, unless it is refined to bring the search, retrieval and copying fees below this limit.
A link to the legislation is provided here for information: Freedom of Information Act, 2014
Freedom of Information Central Policy UnitDepartment of Public Expenditure and Reform,Central Policy Unit, Floor 3, 7-9 Merrion Row, Dublin 2Tel: +353 1 631 8258Fax: +353 1 604 5750Email: cpu@per.gov.ieWebsite: www.foi.gov.ie
Office of the Information Commissioner18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2Tel: +353 1 639 5689Lo-call: 1890 253 238Fax: +353 1 639 5674 or +353 1 639 5676Email: info@oic.gov.ieWebsite: www.oic.gov.ie
Department of Public Expenditure and ReformCentral Policy Unit, Floor 3, 7-9 Merrion Row, Dublin 2Tel: +353 1 631 8258Fax: +353 1 604 5750Email: cpu@per.gov.ieWebsite: www.foi.gov.ie
The European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 to 2014 (S.I. No. 133 of 2007, S.I. No. 662 of 2011, S.I. 615 of 2014 and S.I. 309 of 2018) give legal rights to those seeking to access information on the environment from public authorities. You can make a request to Beaumont Hospital for information in written, visual, electronic or any other material form from any of the categories referred to in the legislation - see HERE for more information.
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FOI Office / Routine Access Office
For information regarding any FOI Request:FOI Department, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, D09V2N0.Tel: 01 809 2866Email: foi@beaumont.ie
For information on access to a requester's own personal information:Routine Access Department, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, D09V2N0.Tel: 01 809 2873Email: routineaccess@beaumont.ie
For Appeals to FOI Internal Review Decision, contact:Office of the Information Commissioner18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2.Tel: +353 1 639 5689Lo-call: 1890 253 238Fax: +353 1 639 5674 or +353 1 639 5676Email: info@oic.gov.ieWebsite: www.oic.gov.ie
Irish Statute Book - 1997 Act (No. 13)
Irish Statute Book - 2003 Act (No. 9)
Irish Statute Book - 2014 Act (No. 30)
FOI Government Website