Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant has requested details, including names, of doctors who had passed away following a referral to the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC provided some information but refused to disclose the names of those deceased doctors in respect of whose cases the regulatory processes had not been completed. This information was claimed to be exempt information under section 31(1)(g) leading to section 31(2)(d) (law enforcement) of FOIA. The Commissioner considers that the exemption is engaged and that, in all the circumstances, the public interest in disclosure is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining the exemption. He does not therefore require any steps to be taken as a result of this notice. The Commissioner has, however, found that the GMC breached section 10(1) (time for compliance) by its handling of the requests. This decision notice is currently under appeal to the Information Tribunal.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 31 - Complaint Not upheld