Department of Health and Social Care

The complainant requested information from the Department of Health and Social Care (“the DHSC”) about its targets, from 2010 onwards, for reducing NHS fraud. The Department of Health responded, but, initially, neither provided the information nor explained whether it was held. After an internal review, it stated that the requested information was not held. The complainant has accepted that the information was not held, but was dissatisfied with the DHSC’s handling of her request. The Commissioner’s decision is that the DHSC breached the requirements of section 1(1) of the FOIA in responding to the request. Since the information is not held, the Commissioner does not require the DHSC to take any steps.