Patient Information

Patient Information Guide

Freedom of Information

How can we help? 

I need:

  • Grampians Health to send my medical information to another provider;
  • a copy of my discharge summary
  • a copy of information or documents at the time of clinical care
  • access to historical patient information
  • access to my medical record
  • access to another person’s medical record (with permission)
  • other documents held by Grampians Health

Transfer of medical information 

You, or your doctor, can ask us to send medical information to your doctor, or to another healthcare provider for continuing care. 
Please ask your doctor to phone Health Information Services on 03 5320 4227, or email HISEnquiries@gh.org.au. You can also phone and ask us yourself. We may require your written consent. 

    A copy of my discharge summary

    You can obtain a copy of your discharge summary through My Health Record. 

    If you don’t have My Health Record, contact Health Information Services on HISEnquiries@gh.org.au for a copy of your discharge summary. 

     You don’t need to make an FOI application if you only want a discharge summary. 

    A copy of information or documents at the time of clinical care

    You can ask your treating clinician for a copy of information shared with you or your carers/family during an episode of care or attendance at Grampians Health. The treating clinician may be able to give you a copy if it is possible and reasonable to do so at the time. 

    Access to historical patient information

    For access to historical patient information for genealogy purposes, please contact the Freedom of Information Officer on freedomofinformation@gh.org.au.

     Access to my medical records, another person's medical record, or documents held by Grampians Health

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic), you can ask us for:
    • access to documents held by Grampians Health, including your medical record; or
    • an amendment to information about you, which you believe is incorrect or misleading. 
    You can make a request here. Our online form is quick and easy to complete. It ensures that your application contains all the required information.  


    You can also email us a request at freedomofinformation@gh.org.au . Your request must: 
    • be in writing. You can complete this form or write us a letter; 
    • clearly describe the documents you are requesting access to;
    • contain enough information for us to identify the documents (eg, the patient’s full name, date of birth, address, hospital UR number if known);
    • include payment of the application fee, or evidence to support a fee waiver (eg, concession card);
    • include proof of identity (photo ID with signature);
    • include consent and/or proof of relationship if you’re applying for the medical record of another person. 

    How much does it cost?

    The FOI application fee is $32.70. It is not refundable. You can ask us to waive this fee if you have a concession card, for hardship or on compassionate grounds. 
    We may also charge you access charges. These what it costs us to process your request. If you choose to receive the documents by secure email, there are no access charges. 
    If you ask for access to your documents in a different format (eg, paper copies), we will tell you what the access charges are going to be before we process your request. 

    What information is available under FOI?

    • Medical records
    • Documents about the activities and services of Grampians Health Edenhope. For example:
      • policies, procedures and standards
      • reports
      • correspondence
      • meeting records
      • employment records
      • archival records.
    'Documents' can include paper, PDF, photographs, films, video recording, tape recording, maps, computer reports and emails.

    What information is not available?

    We may not be able to give you access to the documents you’ve requested. Sometimes, we may give you partial access to the information. There are many reasons why we might do this, including if it is a breach of another person’s privacy. 
    If we can’t give you access to the information, we will tell you why and provide you with details about how you can seek a review of our decision. 

    How long does it take?

    We will send you an acknowledgement of your request shortly after we receive it. We can take up to 30 days to process your request and send you the documents. Sometimes it can take longer. If it is going to take longer than 30 days, we will let you know, and tell you the reasons why we are asking for more time. 

    What if I'm not happy with Grampians Health's decision?

    If you’re not happy with our decision, you can: 
    • contact us; or
    • ask the Information Commissioner to review our decision.
    You must do this no more than 28 days from when you get our decision. 

    To ask the Information Commissioner for a review, you need to: 
    • write to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC);
    • tell them what decision you’re asking them to review; and
    • tell them that the agency is Grampians Health
    The OVIC also has a website with:
    • a review form to download; and
    • information about what to expect in a review. 
    The OVIC’s details are: 
    Phone: 1300 00 6842 (1300 00 OVIC)
    Postal Address: Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner
                                  PO Box 24274
                                  Melbourne VIC 3001 

    Aged Care and Commonwealth Services

    For Commonwealth services delivered by Grampians Health Ballarat, such as the Aged Care Assessment Service (AC AS), documents may need to be requested under the Commonwealth Freedom of Information legislation.

    Links:

    Changes to data collection – sex at birth and gender


    From 1 July 2024, Grampians Health is required to collect and report on a patient’s gender and their sex at birth. 

    These changes are being made so we have the right information to provide clinically appropriate and inclusive healthcare. 


    For our patients, this means you may be asked additional questions when you first come to our service, such as: 

    • What was your sex recorded at birth? 
    • How do you describe your gender? 


    For some people, gender and sex at birth will be the same. For some people, it will be different. 


    This information will help make our healthcare services safer, fairer and more inclusive for everyone. 

    We understand that this may be uncomfortable or confronting for some people. You do have the option to decline to answer. 


    Please note that this change will initially only be reflected in our registration system, and this information may not be available to other staff as you progress through your care. We are working to align our systems, to ensure all necessary staff can access the most up-to-date information and refer to their patients by the correct gender and pronouns. 

    If you are concerned, please contact www.grampianshealth.org.au/contact-us/


    For more information about how your data is being used, speak to your healthcare team.