Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant sought disclosure of a report commissioned by the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust into the standard of clinical practice of a particular doctor. The Trust refused to disclose the information and upheld its decision on internal appeal, placing reliance upon the exemptions under sections 31, 36, 40 and 41 of the Act. The Commissioner considered the correspondence exchanged between the parties, sought clarification as to the basis for the Trust's reliance upon the exemptions and inspected the information withheld. The Commissioner's decision is to uphold the decision of the Trust to withhold the information.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 31 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 36 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 40 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 41 - Complaint Not upheld