British Columbia's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act gives you the right to request records held by PHSA. This includes records containing your personal information.
You can request corporate records as permitted under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). These corporate records include, but are not limited to:
- Briefing notes and reports
- Financial budgets, forecasts and contracts
- Policies and procedures
- Records containing your personal information other than patient health records.
Request your health record
If you received care at any of our locations, you can request copies of your patient health records from Health Information Management. If you received ambulance services by BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), you can request your patient records from the BCEHS Patient Records Disclosure Office.
PHSA publishes a variety of information throughout this site including financial reporting, progress reports, policies and guidelines.
PHSA's Shared Health Organizations Portal (SHOP) is the central access point for policies and guidelines.
Our Accountability section Accountability | Provincial Health Services Authority includes our financial accountability and the work we do to monitor our performance to ensure our services meets your needs.
Before submitting your FOI request
- Identify the records you are seeking (not information or answers to questions).
- Confirm that the records are not already publicly available (see Proactive disclosure section above).
- Describe the records clearly and concisely. A clear and concise request simplifies the search for records and minimizes potential fees. Broad, complex requests take longer to process and may attract fees. (Records containing your personal information do not attract any fees).
- Describe the date or date range of the requested records and if known, add the department, program area or staff from which you are requesting records.
- Understand that some information cannot be released. Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), a public body may choose or be required to withhold sensitive information. Find a full list of what's exempt from FOI requests in Part 2 of FIPPA.
- FIPPA allows up to 30 business days to respond to your request. If we require more time and extensions are applicable, we will notify you.
Request corporate records
We accept FOI requests in any written form. You can complete the Access to Records form (PDF) and send it to us at foi@phsa.ca. You can also send us a description of your request by email at foi@phsa.ca or by mail to:
Manager, FOI & Corporate Records Office
Provincial Health Services Authority
200 - 1333 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC, V6H 4C1
What is a record?
FIPPA defines a record as "books, documents, maps, drawings, photographs, letters, vouchers, papers and any other thing on which information is recorded or stored by graphic, electronic, mechanical or other means, but does not include a computer program or any other mechanism that produces records."
You can submit a request for records held by PHSA. However, please note that requests for general information or answers to questions are not considered requests for records. We are happy to work with you to identify records that may contain information you need.
Is there a fee for FOI requests?
A $10 application fee is required for general FOI requests. There may also be processing fees for large or complex requests. You will be notified if fees are required.
There are no fees for personal requests.
How do I pay a fee?
You can pay fees by cheque or credit card. If a fee is required for your request, we will contact you with instructions on how to pay.
How long will my request take?
Requests can take up to 30 business days. The time to respond may be extended if:
- A large volume of records is requested
- Consultation with other organizations is needed
- More details are needed to identify records
- You consent to more time
We will notify you if your request is extended.
Can I request someone else's personal information?
You can request the personal information of other people, if you have authority to access their personal information. For example:
- Your child or a child in your legal care
- An adult in your care
- An adult that has given consent for their information to be released to you, like a client you're representing
You will need to provide proof of your authority and enough information about the person to help us search for their records.
What if I have a complaint?
