Public Health Scotland: Protocol for handling information requests
Version 4

A primary role of Public Health Scotland (PHS) is to collate, analyse, interpret and publish information about health and social care in Scotland for and on behalf of the Scottish Government (SG) and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

In performing this broad information service role, PHS publishes Official Statistics and Management Information its website under Official Statistics arrangements, and makes available data through a range of other media in support of planning, performance management, policy development and resource allocation.

PHS also offers bespoke analyses of the information it holds in databases, at the request of a wide range of information users.

This protocol sets out, for information users and PHS staff, the principles that PHS follow in response to Information Requests (IRs). A separate PHS protocol exists for Parliamentary Questions.

This protocol will focus on the steps to follow for the majority of teams.

If a request is going to be undertaken by the consultancy team or eDRIS a separate protocol will supersede this document.