The Access to Personal Files (Social Services) (Amendment) Regulations 1991

Made9th July 1991

Coming into force1st August 1991

Whereas a draft of this instrument was laid before Parliament in accordance with section 3(5) of the Access to Personal Files Act 19871 and approved by resolution of each House of Parliament:

Now, therefore in exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Access to Personal Files Act 19872, after consultation in accordance with section 3(4) of that Act with such bodies representing local social services authorities3 as thought appropriate, I hereby make the following Regulations:–

Citation, commencement and extent1

–

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Access to Personal Files (Social Services) (Amendment) Regulations 1991 and shall come into force on 1st August 1991.

2

These Regulations apply to England and Wales.

Amendment of the Access to Personal Files (Social Services) Regulations 19892

–

1

The Access to Personal Files (Social Services) Regulations 19894 shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs of this regulation.

2

In regulation 1(2) (citation, commencement, interpretation and extent) there shall be inserted at the end the words–

“National Health Service trust” has the meaning assigned by section 5 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 19905

3

In regulation 8(3)(a), (4) and (5) (exemption from access to personal health information from a health professional) after the words “health authority” on each occasion on which they appear there shall be inserted the words “or National Health Service trust” and at the end of regulation 8(3)(a) for the words “with that” there shall be substituted “with a”.

4

In the Schedule to the Regulations (Health Professionals) in column 1 (Description) there shall be inserted–

a

after the words “health authority” in the penultimate entry the words “or National Health Service trust”, and

b

after the words “an authority” in the last entry the words “or National Health Service trust”.

William WaldegraveOne of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State9th July 1991

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Access to Personal Files (Social Services) Regulations 1989 by extending the provision for exemption from access to personal health information from a health professional contained in regulation 8 to take account of National Health Service trusts and by including an art therapist or music therapist employed by a National Health Service trust and a scientist employed by a National Health Service trust as a head of department in the definition of health professionals referred to in the Schedule to the 1989 Regulations.