Do the Regulations make it legal for confidential patient information relating to patients referred with confirmed or suspected diagnoses of infection to be supplied to the Health Protection Agency?
A Yes. These regulations provide the legal framework under which these transfers may take place. The Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 were the first regulations to be made under section 60 of this Act, and support the operations of the Public Health Laboratory Services in respect of communicable diseases and other risks to public health. The wording is such that the Health Protection Agency will also be covered under these regulations and in 2004 a more formal application on behalf of the whole Health Protection Agency was made. These regulations make it both lawful and appropriate to share confidential patient information in the circumstances specified.
