Freedom of Information Requests

All FOI requests must be made in writing, should be as specific as possible, and must be delivered directly to the relevant public body or organization. The public body or organization is required to respond to your request within 30 business days of receiving your written request.

Accessing Health Records

To access your loved one’s health records, you will need to submit a request in writing to the relevant healthcare facility. There is generally no charge to access health records, however there may be charges for special processing of your request, such as fees for rush requests or deliveries.

For requests from Interior Health Authority:

Fill out the Request for Access to Personal Health Records form and the Declaration of Status form, and mail your request to the relevant healthcare facility. Locations and contact information for Interior Health facilities can be found here.

For requests from Northern Health Authority:

Fill out the Authorization for Disclosure of Clinical Record Information form and mail your request to the relevant healthcare facility. Locations and contact information for Northern Health facilities can be found here.

For requests from Vancouver Island Health Authority:

Fill out the form to Request a Copy of Someone Else’s Health Records. All health records requests should be sent by fax or by mail to the designated FOI Officer. Contact information for Island Health FOI Officers can be found here.

For requests from Fraser Health Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, or the Provincial Health Services Authority:

Fraser Health Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and the Provincial Health Services Authority all process requests for access to health records through Health Information Management (HIM).

Fill out the Authorization for the Release of Health Records form and mail or fax your request to the relevant facility. Locations and contact information for HIM facilities can be found here.

Further information and FAQs can be found here.

Other FOI Requests

You can make an FOI request to access other records, such as reports by the Patient Care Quality Review Board, or records from investigations by the Patient Care Quality Office or the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

FOI requests can be made by submitting a request form to the relevant public body via mail, email or fax.

Note that each health authority has a designated office to process FOI requests; contact information is as follows:

Interior Health Authority

foi@interiorhealth.ca | Fax: 1-844-469-7074, Att. FOI Request

IH Freedom of Information Office

505 Doyle Avenue

Kelowna, BC V1Y 0C5

Northern Health Authority

privacy@northernhealth.ca | Fax: (250) 565-2640, Att. Traci de Pape

Vancouver Island Health Authority

privacy@viha.ca | Fax: (250) 519-1908 | Phone: (250) 519-1870 | Toll-free: 1-877-748-2290

Information Stewardship, Access and Privacy Office

1952 Bay St

Victoria, BC V8R 1J8

Fraser Health Authority

foi@fraserhealth.ca | Fax: (604) 587-4666 | Phone: (604) 587-4437

Freedom of Information Office

Fraser Health

Suite 400, Central City Tower

13450 102 Avenue

Surrey, BC V3T 0H1

(Call the office to make an oral request if you cannot make a written request due to a physical disability or a limited ability to read or write in English.)

Vancouver Coastal Health Authority

foi@vch.ca | Fax: (604) 875-4593

VCH Freedom of Information Office

11th Floor, 601 West Broadway

Vancouver, BC V5Z 4C2

Provincial Health Services Authority

privacyandfoi@phsa.ca | Fax: (604) 675-7224

Attn: Senior Director, Information Access & Privacy Services
200 – 1333 West Broadway

Vancouver, BC V6H 4C1

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia

info@oipc.bc.ca | Fax: (250) 387-1696 | Phone: (250) 387-5629

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia

PO Box 9038 Stn Prov Govt

Victoria, BC V8W 9A4

If you have a complaint about the way that your FOI request was handled by a public body, or if you want to appeal a public body’s decision about your FOI request, write to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) to make a complaint or to request a review of the decision.

Your written request to the OIPC should include a Request for Review form, a copy of your original FOI request, a copy of the response you received from the public body, and any relevant correspondence between yourself and the public body.

Make a Complaint to the OIPC

If you wish to make an access complaint against the public body handling your FOI request, the first step is to try to resolve your complaint with the public body directly by mailing a complaint form. If the public body is unable to resolve your complaint, submit a written complaint to the OIPC.

Request a Review by the OIPC

If you want to appeal a public body’s decision about your FOI request, submit a written request for review to the OIPC within 30 days of receiving the decision from the public body.