Freedom of Information (FOI)

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives everyone the right to request recorded information held by public bodies, including NHS organisations. We will always make information available wherever we can.

As required by law, we have adopted the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Model Publication Scheme, which sets out the types of information we routinely publish. This includes details about how we are run, how we spend public money, how decisions are made and the services we provide.

If the information you are looking for is not already available through our Publication Scheme, you can make an FOI request and we will respond within 20 working days, in line with the Freedom of Information Act.

Do we publish FOI requests and responses?

We do not routinely publish a disclosure log, because many FOI requests relate to sensitive or operational information that is not appropriate for public release in a bulk format. Instead, we make information available:

• Proactively, through our Publication Scheme
• On request, by responding to FOI enquiries individually

This approach keeps our focus on protecting patient confidentiality and ensuring safe, high‑quality services, while still meeting all our legal duties around transparency and access to information.

How to make an FOI request

If you would like information that is not already available on our website, you can submit a Freedom of Information request by contacting foi@boltonft.nhs.uk. 

Please include your name, contact details and a clear description of the information you are requesting.