Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009

Functions of the Regional Agency

13.—(1) The Regional Agency shall exercise on behalf of the Department—

(a) the health improvement functions mentioned in subsection (2); and

(b) the health protection functions mentioned in subsection (3).

(2) The health improvement functions are—

(a) developing and providing, or securing the provision of, programmes and initiatives designed to secure the improvement of the health and social well-being of, and reduce health inequalities between, people in Northern Ireland; and

(b) health promotion, including in particular enabling people in Northern Ireland to increase control over and improve their health and social well-being.

(3) The health protection functions are the protection of the community (or any part of the community) against—

(a) communicable disease, in particular by the prevention or control of such disease;

(b) other dangers to health and social well-being, including dangers arising on environmental or public health grounds or arising out of emergencies.

(4) For the purpose of the exercise of the health improvement or health protection functions the Regional Agency may—

(a) engage in or commission research;

(b) obtain and analyse data and other information;

(c) provide laboratory and other technical and clinical services;

(d) provide training in relation to matters in respect of which the Regional Agency has functions;

(e) make available to any other body such persons, materials and facilities as it thinks appropriate;

(f) provide information, advice and assistance.

(5) The Department may by order amend subsections (1) to (4) for the purposes of altering the functions of the Regional Agency.

(6) In the exercise of its functions the Regional Agency must—

(a) co-operate with other bodies which exercise functions relating to health improvement or health protection; and

(b) in particular, provide the Department, the Regional Board and Local Commissioning Groups with such information, advice and assistance as they may reasonably require in connection with the exercise of their functions.

(7) A body mentioned in subsection (6)(a) must co-operate with the Regional Agency in the exercise by that body of any such functions as are mentioned there.

(8) The disclosure of information to or by the Regional Agency in pursuance of a duty of co-operation under subsection (6) or (7) does not breach any restriction on the disclosure of information (however imposed); but this subsection does not authorise a disclosure of information which contravenes the Data Protection Act 1998 (c. 29).