Health and Care Act 2022

118 Powers of entry, inspection and seizure

(1) If an investigator considers it necessary for the purposes of an investigation, the investigator may—

(a) enter and inspect premises in England, other than premises used wholly or mainly as a private dwelling;

(b) inspect and take copies of any document at, or capable of being viewed using equipment at, the premises;

(c) inspect any equipment or other item at the premises;

(d) seize and remove from the premises any document, equipment or other item (unless that would risk the safety of any patient).

(2) In subsection (1)(b) the reference to inspecting and taking copies of any document includes requiring any document which is kept in electronic form to be produced in a form in which it is legible and can be taken away.

(3) Where any document, equipment or other item is seized by an investigator, or any copy of a document is taken, it may be retained by the HSSIB for so long as is necessary for the purposes of the investigation.

(4) An investigator exercising any power conferred by this section must, if asked, produce evidence of the investigator’s authority from the HSSIB to act on its behalf.

(5) The powers conferred by subsection (1) may be exercised in relation to premises in which there is a Crown interest, but only if the HSSIB gives reasonable notice to the occupier of the premises of its intention to enter and inspect the premises.

(6) But if the Secretary of State certifies that it appears to the Secretary of State appropriate in the interests of national security that the powers conferred by subsection (1)—

(a) should not be exercisable in relation to any premises in which there is a Crown interest and which are specified in the certificate, or

(b) should not be exercisable in relation to any such premises which are so specified except in circumstances specified in the certificate,

those powers are not exercisable in relation to those premises or (as the case may be) are not exercisable except in the circumstances specified.

(7) In this section “Crown interest” means—

(a) an interest belonging to a government department or held in trust for Her Majesty for the purposes of a government department;

(b) an interest belonging to Her Majesty in right of the Crown;

(c) an interest belonging to Her Majesty in right of the Duchy of Lancaster;

(d) an interest belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall.