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FOI - 960 ICT Documents

 

Information Requested:

I wish to submit a request for some of the organisation’s information around the internal plans and strategy documents around ICT.

The ICT documents I require are the most recent update (2021 onwards documents)
I wish to obtain the following documents:
1.      ICT/IM&T/IS Strategy- The IT department strategy or plans, highlights their current and future objectives.
2.      ICT Org Chart- A visual document that presents the structure of the IT department, please include name and job titles. If this cannot be sent, please work towards a structure with job titles.
3.      ICT Annual or Business Plan- Like the ICT strategy but is more annually focused.
4.      ICT Capital Programme/budget- A document that shows financials budget on current and future projects.
If some of these documents are not valid, please state when the 2021 onwards ICT documents are planned to be published.
 

 

Information provided for the answer:

Thank you for your request dated 14th July 2022.
1.    The Integrated Medium-Term Plan (IMTP) is currently in the process of being published, we anticipate in the next couple of weeks.  An English version is available and we would be happy to provide this.  The IT plan will be updated as part of this work based on digital organisational needs.

2.    Public Health Wales does not confirm or deny that we hold the information you have requested as we do not release details regarding our information security arrangements and we therefore engage the following exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Section 38(2) – Health and Safety of the Act – which states that: 
38(1) Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to – 
(a) endanger the physical or mental health of any individual, or 
(b) endanger the safety of any individual. 
(2) The duty to confirm or deny does not arise if, or to the extent that, compliance with section 1(1)(a) would, or would be likely to, have either of the effects mentioned in subsection (1).

Public Interest Test
Public interest considerations in favour of releasing the information. 

There is a general public interest in openness and transparency in public sector bodies which can help to maintain public trust. 
Information relating to Public Health Wales protective security measures in relation to its systems are clearly matters of public interest and we recognise that there is a legitimate interest in knowing that security measures are in place and where they are focused. 


Public interest considerations in favour of refusing to release the information.   

Public Health Wales has a duty to protect the public and individuals, and to provide a safe and effective public health service. The release of information under FOIA is ‘release to the world’ and I feel that releasing this information into the public domain would not be in the public interest.

Public Health Wales protective security measures that exist are there to protect our systems which are used to directly assist with the provision of patient care. It has been established that any groups who may be planning cyber-attacks are known to conduct extensive research into the opposition they might face and the release of any information which is held about the security of our systems, no matter how innocuous such requests may appear, may enhance the capability of cyber terrorists and hackers to carry out such attacks. 

Releasing any information held could enable hackers and cyber criminals to gain knowledge about Public Health Wales capabilities and IT security measures, and this could enable them to plan attacks where they perceive a lower level of security resource exists. This exposes our IT systems to greater risk and therefore it also follows that risk to our systems will also constitute a risk to both public and staff of Public Health Wales as our systems are used to provide patient care.

Balance of Public Interest Test

Public Health Wales concedes that there is a very real interest in the public knowing that it has adequate levels of protection in place for its IT systems to ensure that we limit any potential for risk befalling the systems on which we heavily rely upon to complete our day to day business and for running the organisation.  

However Public Health Wales believes that ensuring the safety of our systems is paramount and on the balance of the information provided above Public Health Wales believes that there would be a clear causative link between releasing the requested information which could then expose Public Health Wales to the risk of crime which could subsequently endanger or cause harm to our patients. Public Health Wales believes that confirming or denying the information requested is held could expose Public Health Wales sites to hackers and cyber criminals this in turn could lead to Public Health Wales being unable to deliver and provide patient care thereby resulting in a real risk of potential harm to our patients and staff and endanger individuals who are depend upon our IT systems for the care they require.

Public Health Wales therefore believes that the public interest in releasing this information outweighs any arguments for disclosure and so we will neither confirm nor deny that we hold the information requested. 
3.    See response to question 1.

4.    This will flow from investment decisions post IMTP and strategy decisions.  Budgets will be prioritised based on plans, strategy and needs.

John Lawson
Head of Information Governance 
Public Health Wales NHS Trust

 


If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of the decision, you should write to the Corporate Complaints Manager, Public Health Wales NHS Trust, 3, Number 2, Capital Quarter, Tyndall Street, Cardiff, CF10 4BZ.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint or review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Trust. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner for Wales
2nd Floor
Churchill House
Churchill Way
Cardiff
CF10 2HH

Telephone: 029 2067 8400
Email: wales@ico.org.uk