§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances he plans to demand patient information from health care professionals. [61424]
§ Mr. LammyI have no plans to demand patient information from health care professionals. While the Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 permit me to introduce a requirement for patient information to be disclosed in support of work on cancer or communicable disease surveillance, I will
728W
Abortions in England and Wales 1997–2001 performed under 10 weeks gestation, percentage NHS funded Year of termination Health authority of residence (2001 boundaries) 1997 1998 1999 2000 20011 England Avon 64 63 64 60 53 Barking and Havering 44 49 42 50 71 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 47 55 58 51 47 Barnsley 58 70 63 69 72 Bedfordshire 48 44 48 51 53 Berkshire 78 80 78 75 78 Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 49 58 51 57 62 Birmingham 59 56 62 66 67 Bradford 73 70 67 68 65 Brent and Harrow 75 77 74 73 75 Buckinghamshire 64 63 66 67 72 Bury and Rochdale 53 56 49 63 65 Calderdale and Kirklees 79 77 75 77 76 Cambridgeshire 82 82 82 84 81 Camden and Islington 51 55 55 57 55 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 64 82 86 87 76 County Durham 93 89 88 88 88 Coventry 92 95 87 92 96 Croydon 75 75 53 53 68 Doncaster 84 81 83 83 85 Dorset 42 44 41 46 45 Dudley 54 53 53 50 65 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 49 40 40 43 40 East Kent 64 65 67 72 80 East Lancashire 84 81 84 88 86 only do so if so advised by the independent patient information advisory group. In the absence of such a requirement, the regulations are permissive rather than prescriptive, allowing but not requiring information to be disclosed.