The Access to Personal Files (Social Services) Regulations 1989

Exemption from access to personal health information from a health professional

8.—(1) This regulation applies to information as to the physical or mental health of an individual which—

(a) `originated from, or was supplied to the local social services authority by or on behalf of, a health professional, or (b) the local social services authority believe to have originated from, or to have been supplied to them by or on behalf of, a health professional.

(2) In this regulation “appropriate health professional” means—

(a) the medical practitioner or dental practitioner who is currently or was most recently responsible for the clinical care of the individual the subject of the information in connection with the matters to which the information which is the subject of the request relates; or

(b) where there is more than one such practitioner, the practitioner who is the most suitable to advise on the matters to which the information which is the subject of the request relates; or

(c) where there is no practitioner available falling within sub-paragraph (a) or (b) above, a health professional who has the necessary experience and qualifications to advise on the matters to which the information which is the subject of the request relates.

(3) Within 14 days of receiving a request under regulation 3, or, if later, receiving the information referred to in regulation 4, the local social services authority shall in writing inform of the request and that the accessible personal information contains information to which this regulation applies—

(a) the health authority concerned, if the information to which this regulation applies originated from or was supplied by, or if the local social services authority believes it to have originated from or to have been supplied by a health professional in the course of his employment (whether under a contract of service or for services) with that health authority, and

(b) in any other case, the person who appears to the local social services authority to be the appropriate health professional.

(4) A local social services authority shall be exempted from the obligation imposed by regulation 2(1)(b) insofar as it relates to information to which this regulation applies, if before the end of the 40 day period provided for by regulation 6 the health authority referred to in paragraph (3)(a) or the appropriate health professional informs the local social services authority in writing that the information to which this regulation applies must not be disclosed because its disclosure—

(a) would be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the individual who is the subject of the information or any other person, or

(b) would be likely to disclose to the individual who is the subject of the information the identity of another individual (who has not consented to the disclosure of the information) either as a person to whom the information or part of it relates or as the source of the information or enable that identity to be deduced by the individual who is the subject of the information either from the information itself or from a combination of that information and other information which the individual who is the subject of the information has or is likely to have.

(5) If the health authority referred to in paragraph (3)(a) or the appropriate health professional informs the local social services authority in accordance with paragraph (4) that the information to which this regulation applies must not be disclosed, the obligation imposed by regulation 2(1)(b) shall nonetheless apply—

(a) to so much of the information sought by the request as can be supplied without causing such serious harm, or enabling the identity of another individual to be disclosed or deduced, whether by the omission of names or other particulars or otherwise; and

(b) if the only individual whose identity is likely to be disclosed or deduced as mentioned in paragraph (4)(b) is a health professional who has been involved in the care of the individual the subject of the information and the information relates to him or he supplied the information in his capacity as a health professional.