Right to access one’s own personal data in accordance with the Openness Act

When public services are being provided, it often requires drawing up various documents related to the client’s treatment, care or other similar operations.

This instruction page is a subpage of Right of access and other client´s rights in the services of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County | Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (luvn.fi), refer to this page for general instructions, authorisation instructions and Data Protection Officer’s contact information. The page contains instructions on requesting personal data of minors.

This page describes a client's right to receive their own data in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, which is a parallel right to that provided under the General Data Protection Regulation. There is a separate instruction page for the rights granted under the General Data Protection Regulation Rights under the Data Protection Regulation, request for access and rectification of personal data | Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (luvn.fi).  

This page also contains information on the right to request information as a concerned party, which means the right to request another person’s personal data in separately defined situations.

This page includes different request forms depending on the service from which you request the data. If you are not sure which form you should use, you can use any of them, as long as you write clearly what data you are requesting and from which service.

The right to request your personal data

According to the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, everyone has the right to receive information about the personal data concerning them included in an authority document.

This right to access your own personal data under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities is parallel to the right under the General Data Protection Regulation, and you can request to receive your own personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation here Rights under the Data Protection Regulation, request for access and rectification of personal data | Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (luvn.fi).

However, you do not have the right to access a document including personal data, if disclosing the data would be contrary to a highly important public interest, the best interests of a minor or some other highly important private interest.

The Wellbeing Services County provides the data as soon as possible, and no later than two weeks after receiving the request. If the request involves a large number of documents, or the documents include parts with confidential data, or if some other comparable reason results in a situation where the processing and resolution of the matter require special measures or an unusually large amount of work, then the information is provided no later than a month after the request.

Depending on the type of document, the Wellbeing Services County may disclose the requested data either electronically or as printouts. A fee may be collected for printouts.

You can submit a data request to the Wellbeing Services County electronically, in which case strong authentication is required, or you can visit the Registry Office in person and submit the data request using a paper form, in which case your identity will be verified.

Forms for data requests under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities by service area:

Services for the elderly / Request for information concerning one’s own personal data under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

Disability Services / Request for information concerning one’s own personal data under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

Services for children, young people and families / Request for information concerning one’s own personal data under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

Joint healthcare and social welfare services / Request for information concerning one’s own personal data under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

Employee information of the Wellbeing Services County (HR) / Request for information concerning one’s own personal data under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

You can also make a data request in-person. Please bring proof of identity with you. 

All data requests concerning the Wellbeing Services County can be made at the Registry Office.

If you make the request at the office, please use the following forms:

Right to request data as a concerned party

According to the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, an applicant, appellant or other party to whose rights, interests or obligations the matter pertains may request to access another person’s data. In this case, it is required that the requested document has or may have affected the processing of the concerned party’s own case.

The concerned party does not have the right to access documents the disclosure of which would go against vital public interest, a child’s best interest or other important private interest.

The concerned party may use the data they have received on the grounds of the data being public to concerned parties to manage the rights, interests or obligations in the matter to which these rights pertain. However, the concerned party may not utilise the data in any other matter. Nor may the concerned party disclose any data they have accessed on the grounds of their status as a concerned party to a third party.

Depending on the type of document, the Wellbeing Services County may disclose the requested data either electronically or as printouts. A fee may be collected for printouts.

You can submit a data request to the Wellbeing Services County electronically, in which case strong authentication is required, or you can visit the Registry Office in person and submit the data request using a paper form, in which case your identity will be verified.

Services for the elderly / Request to access data as an interested party in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

Disability Services / Request to access data as an interested party in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

Services for children, young people and families / Request to access data as an interested party in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

Joint healthcare and social welfare services / Request to access data as an interested party in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

Employee information of the Wellbeing Services County (HR) / Request to access data as an interested party in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (suomiviestit.fi)(external link)

You can also make a data request in-person. Please bring proof of identity with you. 

All data requests concerning the Wellbeing Services County can be made at the Registry Office.

If you make the request at the office, please use the following forms: