A health trust is to discuss being more transparent after calls from a regional daily – but the meeting to consider the subject will be held in private.

HTFP reported two weeks ago on the Oxford Mail’s demand for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust to change its policy after one of the newspaper’s journalists was barred from leaving a public meeting held by the organisation with publicly available documents provided to him.

Members of staff said the trust’s policy was to provide copies of reports during the meeting for reading, but people were not allowed to have copies on the day or take photographs of the documents – insisting the reports could not be published until a week later because they might be “subject to change.”

However the trust’s board is now set to review the policy, although it will not do so at a public meeting.

A spokesman said: “Oxford Health is currently in the process of reviewing its policy on the release of board papers at the meeting of its board in public. This issue is about timing rather than transparency.

“Our current policy is about ensuring that information in the public domain is factually correct and it is compliant with current legislation.

“We are committed to transparency and following board consideration and approval we routinely publish board papers on our website.

“At the next private meeting of the board a proposal will be put forward that would change our existing policy and allow board papers to be released at the conclusion of meetings.”

Mail assistant editor Keeley Rodgers said: “We’re obviously pleased that it has listened to our plea to be more open and transparent but it’s still somewhat concerning that the decision will made at a ‘private’ meeting.”

The board’s decision was criticised by health campaigners at the time, with it being described as a “ludicrous practice.”

Board chairman Martin Howell, pictured above left, previously told the Mail: “You have raised a question about our policy and I think we need to think about that and take it away.”