FOI and Access to Health Records Officer

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

FOI and Access to Health Records Officer

Closing date: 16 March 2026

We are looking to appoint a FOI and Access to Health Records Officer - 37.5 hours per week - to work within the FOI and Access to Health Records Team.

This role involves processing a caseload of medical record requests in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR) / Data Protection Act 2018, liaising with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and Department of Work and Pensions, and managing Freedom of Information (FOI) requests end to end.

Please be advised that sponsorship is not eligible for this post.

Interviews will take place in the week commencing 30 March 2026.

Main duties of the job

Day to day provision for the FOI and A2HR Department, dealing with Subject Access Requests (SARs) and familiarising yourself with statutory requirements of the Data Protection Act, Access to Health Records Act (ATHRA), GDPR and the FOI Act.

Key tasks include:

• Accessing and locating patient records via necessary systems (e.g., IPM, CRRS) and paper filing systems.
• Scanning records where necessary for urgent requests.
• Providing all appropriate records in line with patient consent.
• Using software to combine, redact and securely send records.
• Managing FOI requests following the end to end process (logging, receipting, checking, processing and drafting responses).
• Checking requests for authenticity, accuracy, type and deadline.
• Prioritising workload, especially urgent requests from police, courts, coroner or other healthcare providers.
• Seeking advice on safeguarding matters and redaction when required.
• Collaborating with the legal team and the access team leader to resolve issues.
• Maintaining statutory deadlines and communicating delays.
• Communicating with patients, relatives and external agencies with professionalism, patience and sensitivity.

About us

We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, delivering high quality patient care. Boasting modern facilities, the Trust is a leader in research and innovation and is designated a Pathway to Excellence.

We offer a supportive environment that promotes equality, diversity and inclusion, allowing everyone to feel respected, valued and to achieve their potential.

Job responsibilities

• To learn and have a working knowledge of all systems that hold medical records as well as the IPM and CRRS system.
• To understand the paper records filing system in order to locate and chase paper records.
• To understand the hospital layout to find paper records from around the Trust and / or Group as appropriate.
• To scan records where necessary for urgent requests.
• To supply all appropriate records as the request stipulates and in line with patient consent. Finding records whether paper or electronic on various systems.
• Use software to combine, redact and administer records appropriately.
• Use software to send records by a secure means to the authorised requester.
• To manage FOI requests following the FOI end to end process in logging, receipting, checking, processing and drafting FOI responses.
• To be familiar with all types of requests coming into the office, checking all requests for authenticity, accuracy of information, the type of request and deadline.
• To prioritise your workload in view of urgent requests that may come in, working collaboratively with your colleagues.
• To discern difficult requests involving safeguarding matters and to seek advice on the redaction and disclosure of these as appropriate.
• To be aware of new requests received by e mail, post, on the data management system or by phone throughout the day.
• To prioritise and react to urgent short notice requests from the police, courts, coroner, or other healthcare providers with support from your team and the access team leader as necessary.
• To pass on requests to the legal team as appropriate.
• To be able to work in an organised manner, working simultaneously on several requests and to have an eye for detail, to check for completeness and correct details on all documents for relevant information, errors and misfiles.
• To understand what to redact in terms of third party information and to remove it conscientiously, taking advice from FOI and A2HR Team Leader as appropriate.
• To be constantly aware of statutory deadlines and work to those deadlines diligently, supplying information in a timely manner.
• To respond to delays in the process and work to resolve issues making the FOI and A2HR Team Leader aware of problems when they arise.
• To have strong communication skills with patients and relatives, being able to undertake complicated conversations in relation to access to health records, employing patience and understanding where there may be a language barrier, impairment, illness, bereavement, frustration or emotional distress and to communicate effectively with Trust and / or Group colleagues and outside agencies in a professional, kindly manner.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.

Person Specification Qualifications

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Experience

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Knowledge

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Skills

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Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

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Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Address

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire