Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)

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On January 1, 2012, Ontario hospitals became subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The purpose of FIPPA is to provide the general public with a right of access to information held by institutions, while protecting the privacy of individuals whose personal information is held by institutions. Woodstock Hospital is embracing this Act; we believe in transparency and accountability. We will encourage and support proactive disclosure where it is appropriate – actively providing information and documents online that are of interest to our community.

Please note that access to personal health information, such as in a patient’s medical record, is not available under FIPPA. The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) applies to a patient’s personal health information and the hospital protects health information in accordance with PHIPA. You are able to access or correct your own personal health information by contacting the Health Records department. Click here to learn more about Health Records and Privacy and Confidentiality at Woodstock Hospital.

Informal Process

Woodstock Hospital routinely provides information to the public and some records may already be available to you without making a request in writing under FIPPA. In keeping with past practice, informal requests for information are welcomed.

Browse Woodstock Hospital’s website, contact the relevant departments(s) or contact the FIPPA Coordinator, if you have a question about information that may be available without submitting a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) Access Request.

Formal Process

You may use Woodstock Hospital’s Freedom of Information Request Form for the following purposes:

To make a request for access to general records of the hospital
To request personal information about yourself

Please be as specific as possible in describing the records that you would like to access. The more specific your request, the more quickly and accurately it can be answered.

Once the FIPPA Coordinator has received the completed form and fee, you will be contacted to review your request for access and clarify the request as needed.

In most cases, you will receive a written response to your FOI access request within 30 days after the form and fee are received. In some cases, it may take longer to receive a response depending on the size and complexity of the request. Documents or information contained within a record may be redacted according to certain exclusions and exemptions under the Act.

If you have any questions about the access request, please contact the FIPPA Coordinator.

Directory of Records:

The purpose of the Directory of Records is to assist members of the public in exercising their rights of access under the Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) by listing and describing the records in the custody or control of Woodstock Hospital.

General record – Any record not considered to be a personal information bank or a public record
Personal Information Bank – A collection of personal information (but not personal health information) that is organized and can be retrieved by an individual’s name or some other personal identifier

The Directory contains a list of categories of General Records and Personal Information Banks (PIBs) held by the hospital. These inventories are updated annually.

The Directory does not contain the actual records and it is necessary to make a FIPPA Access Request to the organization’s FIPPA Coordinator.

Corporate Records
Financial Records
Employee Records
General Departmental Records
Operating Room
Pharmacy
Patient Care Records
Laboratory
Patient Registration

Click here for FIPPA Frequently Asked Questions.