Freedom of Information Act Scotland

Model Publication Scheme and Guide to Information

Guide to Information available through the Model Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 requires Scottish public authorities to produce and maintain a publication scheme. Authorities are under a legal obligation to:

  • publish the classes of information that they make routinely available
  • tell the public how to access the information they publish and whether information is available free of charge or on payment.

Lanark Dental Care has adopted the Model Publication Schemeproduced by the Scottish Information Commissioner.

You can see this scheme on our website at Lanarkdentalcare.co.uk/ or by contacting us (see Contact Us section below).

The purpose of this Guide to Information is to:

  • allow you to see what information is available (and what is not available) in relation to each class of information
  • state what charges may be applied for supplying information
  • explain how you can find the information easily
  • provide contact details for enquiries and to get help with accessing the information
  • explain how to request information we hold that has not been published

Availability and formats

The information we publish through the Model Publication Scheme is, wherever possible, available on our website. We offer alternative arrangements for people who do not want to, or cannot, access the information online or by inspection at the practice. For example, we can usually arrange to send information to you in paper copy, although there may be a charge for this (see Charges section below). Information can be requested from us by telephone or in writing using the contact details provided (see Contact Us section below).

When writing to us to request information, please include your name and address and full details of the information or documents you would like to receive. Please also include a telephone number so we can call you to clarify any details, if necessary.

Advice on requesting information not detailed in this Guide to Information can be found in Appendix I ‘How to access information that is not available under this publication scheme’.

Exempt information

We will publish the information we hold that falls within the classes of information below. If a document contains information that is exempt under The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), we may remove or redact the information before publication but we will explain why. Examples of exempt information include requests for information that is contained in patient dental records (although you do have the right to request your own dental records under the Data Protection Act 2018), requests for information relating to private income of practice partners or practice staff and requests for financial information that would likely prejudice substantially the commercial interests of any person.

Copyright and re-use

Insert notice of adoption of the Open Government Licence (sample text below). The Open Government Licence sets out clear terms and conditions for both copyright and re-use and is the option recommended by the Information Commissioner.

Lanark Dental Care has adopted the Open Government Licence for public sector information https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/. This sets out what you can and cannot do with our published information where we are the copyright holder. 

Where Lanark Dental Care does not hold the copyright in information we publish, we will make this clear in this guide.

Charges

Unless otherwise stated in the Classes of Information section below, all information contained within our Guide to Information is available from us free of charge, where it can be downloaded from our website, sent to you electronically by email, or accessed at the practice premises.

We reserve the right to impose charges for providing information in paper copy or on a digital storage device. Charges will reflect the actual costs to the practice, of reproduction and postage, as set out below. In the event that a charge is to be levied, you will be advised of the charge and how it has been calculated.  Information will not be provided to you until payment has been received.

Reproduction costs:

Where charges are applied, photocopied information will be charged at a standard rate of 10p per A4 paper (black and white copy) and per A4 paper (colour copy).

Computer discs will be charged at the rate of £1.50 per CD-Rom. USB flash drives will be charged at the rate of £20.

Postage costs:

We will pass on postage charges to the requester at the cost to the practice of sending the information by first class post.

Contact Us

You can contact us for assistance with any aspect of this publication scheme:

FOIAS

Lanark Denatal Care

72 High St Lanark

ML11 7ES

01555 662 441

We will also be pleased to advise you how to ask for information that we do not publish (also see Appendix I), or how to complain if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of this publication scheme.

About Lanark Dental Care

Lanark Dental Care is owned and operated by Dr R Ellingham and the premises are owned by Dr R Ellingham. The dentists working at the premises are Dr R Ellingham, Mr W Davenhill, Mr P Buchanan-Smith, Dr M Gray. The practice is also staffed by 1 Receptionist, 5 dental nurses and 1 hygienist.

We operate as a general dental practice providing dental treatment as independent contractors under NHS terms of service and private treatment, for adults and children. We offer the following services:

General Dentistry

Implant dentistry including full arch prosthesis.

Periodontal care including surgical treatment.

Extraction of Wisdom teeth.

Treatment for tooth wear

Invisalign

Composite bonding

Full mouth rehabilitation.

Treatment for Clenching and grinding habits.

We also provide a referral service for other treatments if required.

We claim fees for NHS patients according to the current system (Statement of Dental Remuneration, SDR) set by the government. We are paid monthly fees for the number of patients we have registered and claim fees for individual items of treatment. There are also some allowances available for such things as continuing professional development, quality improvement activity, rent, rates and practice improvements based on the percentage of NHS care we provide. Out of this income, and income from private treatments, the practice pays the full cost of providing care, including the provision of the building, equipment, materials and staff.

Our standards are assured by NHS regulations relating to our participation in clinical governance, clinical audit and peer review, and by the General Dental Council (GDC) Standards for the Dental Team and requirements for continuing professional development. Our care and treatment are also inspected by the Dental Reference Service of the Scottish Dental Practice Board and our practice is inspected every three years by South Lanarkshire Health Board.

The Classes of Information that we publish

We publish information that we hold within the classes of information listed below, in accordance with the Model Publication Scheme (March 21). Once information is published under a class we will continue to make it available for the current and previous two financial years.

Where information has been updated or superseded, only the current version will be available. If you would like to see previous versions, you may make a request to us for that information.

[The dental practice is required to publish all of the information it holds which falls within the classes of the current Model Publication Scheme. If the practice does not hold information within a class, please indicate this below the class description. The class of information should still be included, even if there is no information held for it.

Where links are provided to web pages, please ensure links point to specific documents, relevant pages or sections of the website.]

Class 1: About Lanark Dental Care
Class description: Information about Lanark Dental Care who we are, where to find us, how to contact us, how we are managed and our external relations
The information we publish under this classHow to access it
1. Name, address, contact detailsRefer to ‘Contact Us’ section above, practice website http://www.lanarkdentalcare.co.uk/contact-us/ and Patient Information Leaflet
2. Practice opening hoursRefer to practice website http://www.lanarkdentalcare.co.uk/contact-us/ and Patient Information Leaflet
3. Organisational structureRefer to ‘About Lanark dental Care‘ section above and at practice
4. Legal/contractual framework for the practice:  Refer to ‘About Lanark Dental care ‘ section above, The National Health Service (General Dental Services)(Scotland) Regulations 2010 (as amended)
5. Standards  Refer to ‘About Lanark Dental Care ‘ section above, GDC standards displayed at practice, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (2006) Dental Services Standards
6. Reports to regulators and internal and external audits:Contact Practice Email Subject:FOIAS, Address: info@lanarkdentalcare.co.uk
7. Strategic planning processes:Contact Practice Email Subject:FOIAS, Address: info@lanarkdentalcare.co.uk
8. Contact details for customer care and complaintsRefer to 1. in this class
9. Model Publication Scheme and Guide to InformationRefer to practice website http://www.lanarkdentalcare.co.uk/freedom-of-information-act-scotland/ at practice and available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website 
10. Charging schedule for published informationRefer to ‘Charges’ section above
11. Charging schedule for environmental information not available through this publication schemeRefer to Appendix I below
12. Advice about how to request information  Refer to ‘Availability and formats’ section above
Class 2: How we deliver our functions and services
Class description: Information about our work, our strategy and policies for delivering functions and services and information for our patients.
The information we publish under this classHow to access it
1. Description of practice functions and services, including statutory basis for them  Refer to ‘About Lanark Dental Care ‘section above, on practice website http://www.lanarkdentalcare.co.uk/treatments/ , Patient Information Leaflet and at practice
2. Strategies, policies and internal staff procedure for performing statutory functions: [e.g. record keeping, infection control policy etc]At practice
3. How to report a concern to the practiceRefer to practice complaints procedure on practice website http://www.lanarkdentalcare.co.uk/complaints-procedure/] and at practice
4. Information for patients, including how to access servicesRefer to ‘Contact Us’ section above, practice website http://www.lanarkdentalcare.co.uk/contact-us/ and Patient Information Leaflet
5. Treatment fees and charges:Refer to Practitioner Services Division website, current SDR, practice website http://www.lanarkdentalcare.co.uk/fee-guide/ and at practice. For NHS exemptions https://www.nss.nhs.scot/patient-exemptions/exemptions-and-guidance/help-with-nhs-charges/
Class 3: How we take decisions and what we have decided
Class description: Information about the decisions we take, how we make decisions and how we involve others
The information we publish under this classHow to access it
1. Decisions taken by the practice: [e.g. agendas, reports, papers, and minutes of meetings (that do not contain confidential patient information) etc]At the practice
2. Decisions are informed by referring to national guidance and current Scottish Government guidelinesGeneral Dental Council (GDC), Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP), Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) and British Dental Association (BDA) websites. British periodontal society (BSP) Publications.
3. Patient consultation and feedback: [e.g. patient experience surveys and feedback]At practice
Class 4: What we spend and how we spend it
Class description: Information about our strategy for, and management of, financial resources (in sufficient detail to explain how we plan to spend public money and what has actually been spent).
The information we publish under this classHow to access it
1. Details of NHS funding  Refer to ‘About Lanark Dental Care‘ section above
2. Purchase of equipment and supplies: [e.g. names of suppliers, laboratory services etc]At practice
Class 5: How we manage our human, physical and information resources
Class description: Information about how we manage the human, physical and information resources of [name of the practice]
The information we publish under this classHow to access it
1. Human resources policies, procedures and guidelines: [e.g. recruitment, performance management, pensions, discipline, grievance, staff development etc]Policies available at practice
2. Management of the practice premises: [e.g. owner of premises or factor, planning permission]  Refer to ‘About Lanark Dental Care‘ section above, at practice
3. Premises maintenance arrangements: [e.g. premise maintenance contracts]At practice
4. Equipment maintenance arrangements: [e.g. equipment service contracts]  At practice
5. Records management policy: [e.g. Data Protection, Confidentiality and Information Security Policy]At practice
Class 6: How we procure goods and services from external providers
Class description: Information about how we procure goods and services, and our contracts with external providers
The information we publish under this classHow to access it
1. List of suppliers: [e.g. utilities, dental supplies, laboratory work etc]   At practice
2. Procurement policies and procedures  At practice
Class 7: How we are performing
Class description: Information about how we perform as an organisation, and how well we deliver our functions and services
The information we publish under this classHow to access it
1. External reports, reports for NHS boards, annual reports, and performance statements: [e.g. Health Board practice inspection completion letter]At practice
2. Patient feedback: [e.g. patient experience surveys and other feedback]  At practice
Class 8: Our commercial publications
Class description: Information packaged and made available for sale on a commercial basis and sold at market value through a retail outlet e.g. bookshop, museum or research journal.
The information we publish under this classHow to access it
No information held under this classNot applicable
Class 9: Our open data
Class description: Open data made available by Lanark Dental Care as described by the Scottish Government’s Open Data Resource Pack and available under an open licence. http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/08/4093/downloads#res-1

 

The information we publish under this classHow to access it
No information held under this classNot applicable

Appendix I

How to access information that is not available under this publication scheme

If the information you are seeking is not available under this Guide to Information, then you may wish to request it from us. The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) provides you with a right of access to the information we hold, subject to certain exemptions. The Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs) separately provide a right of access to the environmental information we hold, while the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) provides a right of access to any personal information about you that we hold. Again, these rights are subject to certain exceptions or exemptions.

Should you wish to request a copy of any information that we hold that is not available under this publication scheme, please write toinfo@Lanarkdentalcare.co.uk

Charges for information which is not available under the scheme

Fees for information that is not available under this scheme are outlined in The Freedom of Information (Fees for Required Disclosure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004. If you submit a request to us for information which is not available under the current Model Publication Scheme the charges will be based on the following calculations:

General information requests

[These charges are set within The Freedom of Information (Fees for Required Disclosure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004]

  • There will be no charge for information requests which cost us £100 or less to process.
  • Where information costs between £100 and £600 to provide you may be asked to pay 10% of the cost. That is, if you were to ask for information that cost us £600 to provide, you would be asked to pay £50, calculated on the basis of a waiver for the first £100 and 10% of the remaining £500.
  • We are not obliged to respond to requests which will cost us over £600 to process.
  • In calculating any fee, staff time will be calculated at actual cost per staff member hourly salary rate to a maximum of £15 per person per hour.
  • We do not charge for the time to determine whether we hold the information requested, nor for the time it takes to decide whether the information can be released. Charges may be made for locating, retrieving and providing information to you.
  • In the event that we decide to impose a charge we will issue you with notification of the charge (a fees notice) and how it has been calculated. You will have three months from the date of issue of the fees notice in which to decide whether to pay the charge. The information will be provided to you on payment of the charge. If you decide not to proceed with the request there will be no charge to you.

Charges for environmental information

  • We will ask you to pay the full cost of providing the information, with no waiver for any portion of the cost
  • Charges are calculated on the basis of the actual cost to the practice of providing the information. Photocopying is charged at 10p per A4 sheet for black and white copying and 30p per A4 sheet for colour copying. Postage is charged at actual rate for first class mail. Staff time is calculated at actual cost per staff member hourly salary rate to a maximum of £15 per person per hour.
  • We do not charge for the time to determine whether we hold the information requested, nor for the time it takes to decide whether the information can be released.
  • In the event of a request we will issue you with notification of the charge and how it has been calculated. The information will be provided to you on payment of the charge. If you decide not to proceed with the request there will be no charge to you.

Requests for your own personal data

While you cannot request personal data under the FOISA you are entitled to request your own personal data from us under the Data Protection Act 2018. There is no charge for routine Subject Access Requests but there may be a charge to cover administrative costs for repeat requests and for unfounded or excessive requests.

Guide to Information last updated:          Oct 23

Author:           R Ellingham                     

Date of next review: Oct 24