Right to Information

Accessing Information held by WSLHD

 

From 1 July 2010, the new Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009(GIPA Act) replaced the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1989 (NSW), and introduced a new right to information system in New South Wales.

The GIPA Act applies to all NSW government agencies, including Western Sydney Local Health District. The new right to information laws promote openness, accountability and transparency and makes government agencies more proactive inproviding information to the public. Under this new model, release of information proactively is authorised and encouraged, limited only by legitimate public interest considerations. Formal applications for access to information should be a last resort.

Note that WSLHD makes a lot of information publicly available, for example, in the NSW Health Annual Report and on the Internet. In addition, processes are in place to facilitate access to a person’s personal information. To access information of a non-personal nature from WSLHD:

• search our internet website, to see if it is already readily available
• contact us and ask for the information. Western Sydney Local Health District will decide whether the information you want:
  • is open access information that is readily available. If it is, we will tell you where and how you can get the information.
  • should be made available as part of a ‘proactive release’ of information.
  • can be disclosed to you through ‘informal release’, for example where no third party personal information is involved.
  • requires a ‘formal access application’, for example because consultation with a third party is required.

For further information on the GIPA Act and accessing information click here.

For further information please contact the Right to Information Coordinator on (02) 4734 3361

Accessing Personal Information Held by WSLHD Including Medical Records

Your personal information can be accessed in several ways. For further information click here.

For assistance with accessing your medical record contact the facility you attended. For facility contact details click here.