Request information

As a Queensland Government agency, we release information administratively and proactively wherever possible.

Our website contains a wide range of information about our agency including our functions and activities. Our publication scheme sets out a range of information that is made routinely available.

If not available on our website, some information can also be accessed through an administrative release of information, while other information may be accessed through the right to information application process.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, prior to making a formal request for information, you can contact our Release of Information team who may be able to help determine whether and how the information you are seeking is accessible.

Administrative access

For some non-sensitive information, such as information about you, you can request the information informally. This process is called administrative access.

You may apply for administrative access to documents that:

• you provided to the Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO)
• were provided to you by the OHO
• are publicly available
• we make routinely available.

When deciding whether administrative release of information is appropriate, we will also need to consider whether there are any adverse effects resulting from us releasing the information to you.

Administrative access requests must be in writing and include the following:

• your full name and date of birth
• an address where we can send your requested information (may include email)
• details about the documents you are requesting
• evidence of your identity (e.g. certified copy of a driver’s licence, passport, birth certificate).

When providing evidence of identity, copies of identity documents must be certified as a correct copy of the original by a ‘qualified witness’. A qualified witness is a pharmacist, Justice of the Peace, lawyer, Commissioner for Declarations, or notary public.

Each request for Administrative access is considered individually, and consistent with our Administrative access policy. For more information about acceptable evidence of identity, including possible exceptions to providing certified copies, and our obligations in relation to the administrative release of information, please refer to this policy.

If you have any questions, contact our Release of Information Officer.

Requesting information under law

Accessing information under the Right to Information Act 2009

You can also formally request information from the OHO, or any public sector agency in Queensland, under the Right to Information Act 2009 (the RTI Act). This Act gives you the right to access personal and non-personal information (unless there is a good reason for it to not be released to you) and amend your personal information.

To make an ‘RTI’ application you may complete the form accessible through the link below, or through a written request detailing the following:

• your name
• an address where we can send the documents (may include email)
• a certified copy of your identification document/s and, if you are acting on behalf of another individual, evidence of their authority to access their information, such as:
  • the will or court order appointing you to act on behalf of the individual
  • the client agreement authorising a legal practitioner to act for the person
  • where the individual is a child, evidence that you are the child’s parent.

You must also provide sufficient information about the documents or information you are seeking, which could include details such as whether the information is your personal information or someone else, names of persons featured in the information sought, relevant case file references, information/document types, relevant dates, or other details reasonably known to you.

In some circumstances, an application fee may apply to an RTI application. Where such a fee applies, the Senior Release of Information Officer (SROI) will contact you, and the application will not be processed until the fee is paid.

Each RTI application is considered individually, and consistent with the RTI Act and our Right to Information Policy (PDF 242KB). For more information about acceptable evidence of identity, including possible exceptions to providing certified copies, and our approach to the management of RTI applications, please refer to this policy.

Amending personal information

If you believe personal information held by the OHO is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading, you may request to amend this information under the RTI Act. Similar to ‘Requesting Information’ detailed above, to make an application for amendment, the application must be made in writing and be accompanied by a certified copy of your identification or authority documents as well as:

• your name and date of birth
• detailing the information of concern and how you consider it to be inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, or misleading
• detailing the amendments necessary to make the information accurate or not misleading, or the other information necessary to bring the information up to date.

Right of review

If you do not agree with OHOs decision you have the right to request a review. A request for review must be made in writing within 20 business days of the date of the decision. You may request an internal review by emailing rti@oho.qld.gov.au or an external review by contacting the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Please view our Right to Information Policy (PDF 242KB) for further information.

*For further information on proof of identity, see the Office of the Information Commissioner Queensland website.

Contact the Release of Information Team