Information Commissioner's Office

Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership NHS Trust

19 November 2015, Health (NHS)

The complainant has requested a report about the adult social care file of a relative. The Stafford and Stoke on Trent Partnership NHS Trust (‘the Trust’) has refused to comply with the request which it says is vexatious under section 14 of the FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that, on this occasion, the request is not vexatious and the Trust is not correct to apply section 14 to it. The Commissioner requires the public authority to respond to the request by either releasing the information, or by relying on an exemption other than section 14. The public authority must take these steps within 35 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of the Act and may be dealt with as a contempt of court.

FOI 14: Upheld