Freedom of Information at HDGH
On January 1, 2012, Ontario hospitals became subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act (FIPPA). FIPPA was extended to cover hospitals as a result of the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act, 2010, which received Royal Ascent on December 10, 2010.
As of January 1, 2012 access to all hospital records is granted to anyone, for any reason, unless subject to an exclusion or exemption. All hospital records from January 1, 2007 have to be produced on an access request unless excluded or exempt under FIPPA.
How to Make a Request
Requests for corporate records under FIPPA must be made in writing. As the Internet is not a secure communication vehicle, we are not able to accept requests via the Internet or through email. You may submit your request by mail or in-person. Click here for the HDGH Access Request Application Form.
You will receive a response within 30 calendar days from the date we clarify your written request and any applicable fees are paid. If we need to consult with others or if we have a large volume of records to review, the time may be extended, as permitted under legislation. If there is a delay, we will notify you in writing of the reason for the extension and the new due date.
For information about the types of corporate records held by HDGH, you may wish to consult the HDGH Directory of Records. When requesting information, please provide specific details about the records you wish to access.
An application fee of $5.00, payable to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare by cash or cheque is required at the time you submit your request. Under FIPPA, HDGH may charge $7.50 per quarter hour for search and preparation time for general records. As well, a photocopying fee of $0.20 per page applies to all records that may be disclosed. We may charge an additional fee of $10 for CDs or other storage media.
You will be advised if the processing fees will exceed $25 and you will be asked to provide a deposit of 50% if the estimated processing cost exceeds $100. We will let you know if any exemptions under FIPPA apply to the records you are requesting so that you can make an informed decision on whether or not to pay the deposit. HDGH will issue a receipt for any payments.
For more information on FOI and information regarding complaints procedure, please visit the website of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ontario, Canada.
If you are requesting information about your health record, you do not need to make a FOI request. Click here to be redirected to information on accessing your personal health record.
Freedom of Information (FOI) Fee Schedule
s. 57(1) FIPPA, s. 6 Reg. 460
Fees for a General Record Request
- Application Fee - $5.00 each
- Photocopies and computer printouts - $0.20 per page
- Records provided on CD-ROMs - $10.00 for each CD-ROM
- Manually searching a record - $7.50 for each 15 minutes spent by any person
- Preparing a record for disclosure, including severing a part of the record - $7.50 for each 15 minutes spent by any person
- Developing a computer program or other method of producing a record from a machine-readable record - $15.00 for each 15 minutes spent by any person
- Costs, including computer costs, incurred in locating, retrieving, processing and copying the record(s) if those costs are specified in an invoice received by the hospital
Fees for a Personal Information Request
- Application Fee - $5.00 each
- Photocopies and computer printouts - $0.20 per page
- Records provided on CD-ROMs - $10.00 for each CD-ROM
- Developing a computer program or other method of producing a record from a machine-readable record - $15.00 for each 15 minutes spent by any person
- Costs, including computer costs, incurred in locating, retrieving, processing and copying the record(s) if those costs are specified in an invoice received by the hospital
Fee deposit: Hospitals may require the requestor to pay 50% of the total estimated fee if it is $100.00 or more.
Fee refund: Hospitals will refund any fee deposit paid that is subsequently waived.
Where to Contact Us
Josée Cecile, Administrative Assistant
Freedom of Information (FOI) Office
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare
1453 Prince Road, Room AC2431
Windsor, ON N9C 3Z4
Telephone: (519) 257-5111 ext. 74102