Provision of information to a medical officer etc
43.—(1) The provider must, if satisfied that the patient has given explicit consents—
(a)supply in writing to any person specified in sub-paragraph (3), within such reasonable period as that person may specify, such clinical information as any of the persons mentioned in sub-paragraph (3)(a) to (d) considers relevant about a patient to whom the provider or a person acting on behalf of the provider has issued or has refused to issue a medical certificate; and
(b)answer any inquiries by any person mentioned in sub-paragraph (3) about—
(i)a prescription form or medical certificate issued or created by, or on behalf of, the provider; or
(ii)any statement which the provider or a person acting on behalf of that provider has made in a report.
(2) For the purposes of being satisfied that a patient has given explicit consent, a provider may rely on an assurance in writing from any person mentioned in sub-paragraph (3) that the explicit consent of the patient has been obtained, unless the provider has reason to believe that the patient does not consent.
(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) and (2), the persons are—
(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 paragraph—
(a)“medical officer” means a medical practitioner who is—
(i)employed or engaged by the Department for Work and Pensions; or
(ii)provided by an organisation under a contract entered into with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions;
(b)“nursing officer” means a health care professional who is registered on the Nursing and Midwifery Register and—
(i)employed or engaged by the Department for Work and Pensions; or
(ii)provided by an organisation under a contract entered into with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions;
(c)“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) relating to occupational therapists and—
(i)employed or engaged by the Department for Work and Pensions; or
(ii)provided by an organisation under a contract entered into with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; and
(d)“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 relating to physiotherapists and—
(i)employed or engaged by the Department for Work and Pensions; or
(ii)provided by an organisation under a contract entered into with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
S.I. 2002/254 which was relevantly amended by S.I. 2009/1182. The title of this Order is the Health and Social Work Professions Order 2001 in accordance with section 213(4) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 c.7.