What we publish, and how to ask for the rest.

Why this page exists

A dental practice providing Health and Social Care treatment in Northern Ireland is a public authority under the Act, but only for information about those services. The practice intends to offer HSC orthodontic treatment for children and teenagers from opening.

Everything else is outside the Act: private treatment, and the business of DY Destiny Limited generally. That is why the practice uses the model scheme written for authorities covered for only part of what they hold.

Under Freedom of Information Act 2000, section 19 and Schedule 1, Part III, paragraph 44, following the Information Commissioner’s model publication scheme, in the version written for authorities covered for only part of the information they hold. Kept by the Registered Manager as POL-70 v1.1.

What we commit to

• Publish, or otherwise make routinely available, the information this scheme covers
• Say how that information can be obtained and whether a charge applies
• Publish this scheme, keep it under review and hold a copy at reception
• Publish any dataset that has been requested, and later versions of it, where that is reasonably practicable and in a re-usable form
• Keep the information under this scheme up to date

What we do not publish

Some information is exempt and is not published. The exemptions most likely to apply are personal information about patients, staff or anyone else (section 40), information given to the practice in confidence (section 41), and information whose release would harm the commercial interests of the practice or of someone else (section 43). Information outside the Act, such as anything about private treatment, is not published here either.

How to ask

• Anything recorded about our HSC services can be requested under section 1 of the Act. Put it in writing, give a name and an address for a reply, and describe what you want.
• We answer promptly and in any event within 20 working days. If we need to narrow the request down, or if an exemption applies, we tell you.

Write to admin@regentorthodontics.com, or to 11/11A Regent Street, Newtownards, County Down BT23 4AB.

What it costs

What is on this website is free. If you want it on paper or in another format, we may charge only what it actually costs to photocopy, print and post, and we tell you the amount before we send it. If answering a request would cost more than the limit set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, we say so and help you narrow it.

If you are unhappy with our answer

If you are unhappy with how we handled a request, ask for an internal review in writing to the Registered Manager within 40 working days of our answer. Someone who had nothing to do with the original answer carries it out, within 20 working days. If you are still dissatisfied you can complain to the Information Commissioner.

Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF. 0303 123 1113 · ico.org.uk

Complaints about how the practice handles personal data are a different route, under POL-05. That route is on our privacy page, and complaints about treatment go through our complaints procedure.

Who is responsible

The Registered Manager maintains this scheme, keeps the information above up to date, keeps the disclosure log and makes sure requests are answered in time. Any member of staff who receives a written request about HSC services passes it on the same day, because the 20 working days run from the day it reaches the practice. The Responsible Person is accountable overall. The scheme is reviewed annually, and whenever the ICO model changes or the practice’s HSC services do.

The full scheme

This page is a plain-English summary. The full scheme, POL-70, including the seven classes of information it covers, is held at reception and sent free on request by email or post.

Ask at reception, or write to admin@regentorthodontics.com.