Freedom of Information

The  Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O 1990 (FIPPA) is provincial legislation that came into effect on January 1, 1988. On January 1, 2012, hospitals in Ontario were added to the list of public bodies to which FIPPA applies.  

FIPPA has two main purposes:

  1. To make public bodies more open and accountable by providing the public with the right to access records; and
  2. To protect personal information from unauthorized collection, use or disclosure by public bodies.  

FIPPA applies to records in the custody or control of the hospital. Upon request, certain records must be made available, subject to certain exemptions as provided in FIPPA. Individuals have the right to request access to their own personal information under FIPPA.  

Requesting Health Records:

In accordance with the Public Hospitals Act of Ontario, a patient has the right to request information related to their health record. Health records include clinical and medical records, lab results, CT scans and more.

To request access to your Health Record please contact The Ottawa Hospital Health Records.  

Requesting Personnel Records:

An individual can request access to their own personal information.  If the personal information you are requesting is related to your employment and can be found within your Human Resources (HR) Files or for changes to your personnel and HR records please contact:  

  • The Ottawa Hospital HR Department:
    Civic 613-761-4727, General 613-737-8330  
  • University of Ottawa Heart Institute/Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation:
    Julie Lemonde,  613-696-7000 x14721 or email Julie at @email.

Requesting General Corporate Records:

General corporate records can be requested by the public. General records can include contracts, financial budgets, manuals, policies and other University of Ottawa Heart Institute reports.

To make a request visit the How to Make an Information Request page.