PART 9

Health and adult social care services: information
CHAPTER 2

The Health and Social Care Information Centre

Functions: information systems

Other dissemination of information
261
1
The Information Centre may disseminate (other than by way of publication), to any such persons and in such form and manner and at such times, as it considers appropriate, any information—
a
which it obtains by complying with a direction under section 254 or a request under section 255, and
b
which falls within subsection (2).
2
Information falls within this subsection if—
a
the information is required to be published under section 260;
b
the information is in a form which identifies any relevant person to whom the information relates or enables the identity of such a relevant person to be ascertained and—
i
the relevant person has consented to the dissemination, or
ii
the Centre, after taking into account the public interest as well as the interests of the relevant person, considers that it is appropriate for the information to be disseminated;
c
the information is in a form which identifies any individual to whom the information relates who is not a relevant person or enables the identity of such an individual to be ascertained and the individual has consented to the dissemination;
d
the Centre is prohibited from publishing the information only by virtue of it falling within section 260(2)(c) and the Centre considers it would be in the public interest for the information to be disseminated;
e
the Centre is prohibited from publishing the information only by virtue of a direction given under section 260(2)(d) and that direction provides that the power in subsection (1) applies to the information.
3
A direction under section 260(2)(d) may require the Information Centre to disseminate information which the Centre is prohibited from publishing only by virtue of the direction.
4
The Information Centre may also disseminate, in such form and manner and at such times as it considers appropriate, any information which it collects pursuant to a direction under section 254 or a request under section 255 (whether or not it falls within subsection (2)) to any person to whom the information could have been lawfully disclosed by the person from whom the Centre collected the information.
5
The Information Centre may also disclose information which it obtains by complying with a direction under section 254 or a request under section 255 (whether or not it falls within subsection (2)) if—
a
the information has previously been lawfully disclosed to the public,
b
the disclosure is made in accordance with any court order,
c
the disclosure is necessary or expedient for the purposes of protecting the welfare of any individual,
d
the disclosure is made to any person in circumstances where it is necessary or expedient for the person to have the information for the purpose of exercising functions of that person conferred under or by virtue of any provision of this or any other Act,
e
the disclosure is made in connection with the investigation of a criminal offence (whether or not in the United Kingdom), or
f
the disclosure is made for the purpose of criminal proceedings (whether or not in the United Kingdom).
6
Paragraphs (a), (b) and (f) of subsection (5) have effect notwithstanding any rule of common law which would otherwise prohibit or restrict the disclosure.
7
Nothing in this section or section 262 prevents the Information Centre from disseminating information (otherwise than by publishing it) under or by virtue of any other provision of this or any other Act.
8
For the purposes of this section and section 262 the provision by the Information Centre of information which it has obtained by complying with a direction under section 254 or a request under section 255 to the person who gave the direction or made the request is to be treated as dissemination by the Centre of that information to that person.