The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015

Provision of information to a medical officer etc.

76.—(1) The contractor must, if satisfied that the patient consents—

(a) supply in writing to a person specified in paragraph (3) (a “relevant person”), before the end of such reasonable period as that person may specify, such clinical information as a person specified in paragraph (3)(a) to (d) considers relevant about a patient to whom the contractor, or a person acting on behalf of the contractor, has issued or has refused to issue a medical certificate; and

(b) answer any inquiries by a relevant person about—

(i) a prescription form or medical certificate issued or created by, or on behalf of, the contractor, or

(ii) any statement which the contractor, or a person acting on behalf of the contractor, has made in a report.

(2) For the purpose of being satisfied that a patient consents, a contractor may rely on an assurance in writing from a relevant person that the consent of the patient has been obtained, unless the contractor has reason to believe that the patient does not consent.

(3) For the purposes of this regulation, “a relevant person” is—

(a) a medical officer;

(b) a nursing officer;

(c) an occupational therapist;

(d) a physiotherapist; or

(e) an officer of the Department for Work and Pensions who is acting on behalf of, and at the direction of, any person specified in sub-paragraphs (a) to (d).

(4) In this regulation—

“medical officer” means a medical practitioner who is—

(a)

employed or engaged by the Department for Work and Pensions; or

(b)

provided by an organisation under a contract entered into with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions;

“nursing officer” means a health care professional who is registered on the Nursing and Midwifery Register and who is—

(a)

employed by the Department for Work and Pensions; or

(b)

provided by an organisation under a contract with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions;

“occupational therapist” means a health care professional who is registered in the part of the register maintained by the Health Professions Council under article 5 of the Health and Social Work Professions Order 2001(1) (establishment and maintenance of register) relating to occupational therapists and who is—

(a)

employed or engaged by the Department for Work and Pensions; or

(b)

provided by an organisation under a contract entered into with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; and

“physiotherapist” means a health care professional who is registered in the part of the register maintained by the Health Professions Council under article 5 of the Health and Social Work Professions Order 2001 (establishment and maintenance of register) relating to physiotherapists and who is—

(a)

employed or engaged by the Department for Work and Pensions; or

(b)

provided by an organisation under a contract entered into with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

(1)

S.I. 2002/254; as amended by section 127 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c.14), section 81(5) of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 (c.26), sections 213, 214(2) to (4), 215, 216, 218 and 219 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c.7), section 5(2) of, and paragraph 6 of the Schedule to, the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015 (c.28), and by S.I. 2003/3148, S.I. 2004/1947 and 2033, S.I. 2007/3101, S.I. 2009/1182, S.I. 2010/233, S.I. 2011/1043, S.I. 2012/1479 and 2672 and S.I. 2014/1887.