A health care body does not have to set up copying facilities simply in order to comply with FOI requests. Depending on the availability of contracted services it may also be unreasonable to require the public body to contract out the reproduction of the x-rays. In certain circumstances. If an individual makes a request for their own personal information, which includes their own medical records, the information must be disclosed to them unless one of the FOI Act's exceptions applies. Information may be withheld under section 22 if disclosure would unreasonably invade another person's privacy or under section 19 if it is determined that disclosure would be harmful to anyone's health or safety.
Some medical records contain the personal information of more than one individual.
In responding to a request for the applicant's own personal information, the public body must review the record to determine if it contains third party personal information that must be severed under because disclosure would be an unreasonable invasion of the third parvy's personal privacy. In rare cases, the head of the public body may believe that giving an applicant access to his or her own medical information creates a reasonable expectation of a threat to another person's safety or health or of immediate and grave harm to the applicant's own safety or health. Section 19 authorizes the public body to withhold the information in such circumstances. The head normally consults with a health professional where there is concern about the probable effect of giving an individual access to his or her own medical information. Section 5 of the FOI Act Regulation permits disclosure of the information to the health professional for the purpose of obtaining an opinion.