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Location: About Us >> Accountability >> FIPPA
Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act
On January 1, 2012, Ontario hospitals will become subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This act is to provide public access to records in the custody and control of South Huron Hospital Association (SHHA) after January 1, 2007. This right of access is limited by exclusions not covered by the FIPPA Act and certain mandatory or discretionary exemptions.
Please note: Access to Personal Health Information, such as in a patient’s medical chart, is not available under FIPPA, however, SHHA protects medical information in accordance with PHIPA. If you wish to make a request for your own patient chart, please refer to Your Privacy on the SHHA website.
Making an Information Request
To make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, please fill out a South Huron Hospital FOI Request Form and forward your request in writing to:
Attention: Freedom of Information Coordinator
South Huron Hospital Association
24 Huron Street West
Exeter, Ontario
N0M 1S2
To download & print the South Huron Hospital FOI Request form - click here
An application fee of $5.00 (payable to SHHA) must be included with your request in order for your request to be processed. Please be as specific as possible in describing the records you are requesting. You may also be contacted by the Freedom of Information Coordinator if the request does not contain enough detail to process your request.
Once a written request is considered complete, an acknowledgement letter will be sent to each requestor. The letter will note the date on which the FOI request was received as well as confirm the specifics of the request, especially if the request has been clarified. A reasonable estimate will be given to the requestor of any amount that will be required to be paid under this Act that is over $25.00. SHHA will require the requester to pay a deposit of up to 50% of the amount of an estimate over $100.00 before taking any further steps to respond to the request.
Fees for FIPPA Request
SHHA is permitted to charge certain fees in connection with responding to an FOI request. Section 57(1) of FIPPA outlines those costs incurred by SHHA that can be charged to the requester as fees, namely:
- the costs of every hour of manual search required to locate a record; the costs of preparing the record for disclosure;
- computer and other costs incurred in locating, retrieving, processing and copying a record;
- shipping costs; and any other costs incurred in responding to a request for access to a record.
Directory of SHHA General Records
The Directory contains a list of the general classes or types of records to assist the public in understanding the types of records that are in the custody and control of SHHA. The Directory does not contain the actual records; therefore, it is necessary to make an access request to the hospital’s Freedom of Information & Privacy Office. For each type of record, the following information is provided:
- Record Type
- A description of the type of information maintained
- The department(s) responsible for maintaining the records
To view the Directory of SHHA General Records - click here
Personal Information Bank Inventory
A Personal Information Bank (PIB) is a collection of personal information that is organized and can be retrieved by an individual's name or other personal identifier. All Clinical Records are Personal Information Banks, however, must be accessed through the Personal Health Information Protection Act.
To view the Index of SHHA Personal Information Banks - click here
Retention Periods
The retention and destruction periods of the General Records or PIB are found in SHHA Policy#01-012 Records Retention, Storage and Destruction.
To view SHHA policy #01-012 Records Retention, Storage & Destruction - click here
South Huron Hospital Foundation
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SHHA AdministrationContact Information:
Phone 519-235-2700
or E-mail: click here
South Huron Medical Centre:
Phone 519-235-3343
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Association 2012. All rights reserved. Email:
shha.administration@shha.on.ca