Information Commissioner's Office

Countess of Chester Hospital

12 March 2015, Health (Other)

The complainant made a series of 16 requests to the Countess of Chester Hospital (the Hospital) between the 2 July 2014 and 8 August 2014 in respect of the use of a particular laxative, Movicol, in the treatment of children under five years old. The Hospital provided some information, relied on section 40(2) – personal information, to withheld information on the number of children under five treated with the drug over a given period and denied holding other information.  The complainant has complained to the Commissioner about the responses to three of these requests. These include the refusal to provide her with statistics on the use of the drug on under-fives and two requests for information about the risks assessment and approval of the drug which the Hospital denies holding. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Hospital has dealt with these requests in accordance with the provisions of FOIA. The Commissioner does not require the public authority to take any further action in respect of these requests. 

FOI 40: Not upheld