PO-2187

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (the Ministry) received a request under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act) for access to the following information relating to diagnostic clinics assessed under the Independent Health Facilities (IHF) program:

• The names and locations of clinics that have had their licences suspended by the health ministry. I would also like a copy of the assessment reports that lead to these suspensions.
  
  
• The names and locations of clinics that have had partial licence suspensions and their assessment reports.
  
  
• The names and locations of clinics where "major clinical quality deficiencies" were detected by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario but no licensing action was taken. I would also like a copy of those assessment reports.
  
  I am also requesting that I receive information on any corrective action taken by said clinics.
  
  I am seeking information that goes back to the beginning of the Independent Health Facilities program, which started in 1990.

The Ministry issued an interim decision, estimating that there were 150 responsive records. The Ministry advised the requester that all records would likely be partially withheld under the following exemptions in the Act:

• sections 17(1)(a), (b) and (c) - third party commercial information
• section 18(1)(c) - economic and other interests of the Ministry
• section 21(1) - invasion of privacy

In response, the requester narrowed the scope of her request to assessments undertaken in 1996 and 2001 only.

The Ministry then issued a second interim decision, reducing the estimated number of responsive records to 30. The Ministry confirmed that the same exemptions would likely apply to portions of the records.

• FIPPA
• 17(1)(a), (b) & (c)
• 18(1)(c)
• 21(1)
• 2(1)

• commercial information
• Economic or Other Interests of Institutions
• Personal Privacy
• Third Party Information