National Health Service Act 2006

197 Notice requiring production of documents E+W

(1) This section applies if it appears to the Secretary of State that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting—

(a) that any documents containing information relevant to the exercise of any of his functions to which this Part applies are in the possession or under the control of any NHS body, statutory health body, health service provider or NHS contractor (“the relevant organisation”), and

(b) that a person within subsection (3) is accountable for the documents.

(2) The Secretary of State may serve on that person a notice requiring him to produce the documents to an authorised officer.

(3) The persons within this subsection are—

(a) any member, officer or director of the relevant organisation,

(b) any other person who takes part in the management of the affairs of that organisation,

(c) any person employed by that organisation, and

(d) (in the case of a health service provider or NHS contractor who is an individual) that individual.

(4) A notice under this section must specify or describe the documents to which it relates.

(5) Subject to subsections (6) and (7), the notice may require those documents to be produced—

(a) at or by such time as is specified in the notice, or at once, and

(b) at such place, and in such manner, as is so specified.

(6) When specifying a time at or by which the documents must be produced, the notice must not require them to be produced otherwise than at a reasonable hour.

(7) If the notice requires documents to be produced at once, it may only be served at a reasonable hour.

(8) An authorised officer may, by agreement with the person served with a notice within subsection (6) or (7), vary the notice so as to extend the time for compliance with it.

(9) Any notice under this section, and any variation of such a notice under subsection (8), must be in writing.

(10) An individual is “accountable” for any documents if he has either day-to-day, or an overall, responsibility for the custody or control of the documents.