Can I Have Access To Information About Me?

What is ‘Freedom of Information’?

The Victorian Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) gives persons the general right, subject to specified exceptions, to access information held by the government, including government departments, authorities and agencies.

Bayside Health is an agency under the FOI Act

What information is available?

You have a right to apply for access to documents in the possession of Bayside Health, whether created by Bayside Health or supplied to it by an external organisation or individual.

Access can extend to:

• documents about your personal affairs, regardless of the age of the documents.

• documents of a non-personal nature, not older than 5 July 1978.

It is not only documents in paper form that are accessible.  The word ‘document' covers a broad range of media, including plans, maps, drawings, photographs, films, emails, tape recordings, videotapes, computer printouts, computer discs and microfiche.  It does not include library material maintained for reference purposes.

You may ask to be given a copy of the document or you may request access to the document, for example, to see a film or get a transcript of a tape recording.

What information is not available?

The FOI Act allows an agency to refuse access to documents or information in certain circumstances, in which case the document or information is considered to be ‘exempt'. 

In some cases access may be denied to the entire document or the document may be released with the exempt information deleted.

Examples of documents that may be exempt are:

• documents that contain health information concerning the person making the request where the authorised person, who must be a registered medical practitioner, believes on reasonable grounds that the provision of the health information would pose a serious threat to the life or health of the person or any other person.  In such a case, access must not be granted to the document so far as it contains that information and information about the existence or non-existence of that document need not be given.

• documents containing personal information about other people.

• internal working documents, i.e. for the purpose of the deliberative processes involved with the functions of an agency, Minister or government, where disclosure would be contrary to the public interest.

• Law enforcement documents.

• documents covered by legal professional privilege, such as legal advice.

• documents containing information provided to an agency in confidence.

• documents containing information provided to an agency by a business relating to its trade secrets or other business, commercial or financial matters.

• documents which are covered by secrecy provisions in other legislation.

Decisions concerning the exemption of documents are made by the formally designated Freedom of Information Managers of Bayside Health

What should I do to make an application?

All formal requests for access to documents of Bayside Health or any of its campuses under the provisions of the FOI Act are to be made in writing to:

The Freedom of Information Officer
The Alfred
PO Box 315
PRAHRAN
VIC 3181

or

The Freedom of Information Officer
Caulfield General Medical Centre
260 Kooyong Road
CAULFIELD
VIC 3162

or

The Freedom of Information Officer
Sandringham & District Memorial Hospital
193 Bluff Road
SANDRINGHAM
VIC 3191

All formal requests to Bayside Health for access to documents under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act must be made in writing, include sufficient information about that document to enable it to be identified and be accompanied by the prescribed, non-refundable application fee.

People suffering hardship may apply to have the application fee waived. From 1 July 2008 the application fee is $22.70.

Where access is granted to inspect, obtain or purchase material, arrangements will be made during normal office hours, Monday-Friday, 8.45am to 5.00pm.

In addition to the application fee, charges may apply for access to documents under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and these will be in accordance with the standard provisions of the Freedom of Information (Access Charges) Regulations 2004.

Further Information

Further information on FOI is available from the Victorian Government web site or contact

Ms Judy Segal, The Alfred, ph 9076 3002
Ms Anne Bishop, Caulfield General Medical Centre, ph 9076 6820
Ms Tracy Burgess, Sandringham & District Memorial Hospital, ph 9076 1250
Ms Alison Duncan-Marr, Bayside Health, ph 9076 6974
Mr Bill O'Shea, Bayside Health, ph 9076 3750