Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/28
Timestamp: 2019-06-25 06:46:36
Document Index: 229566408

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 4', 'art. 2', 'art. 2', 'art. 2', 'art. 2', 'art. 3']

Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 25 June 2019. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
1988 CHAPTER 28
I1Act wholly in force on 1.1.1989 see s. 10(2)
1 Right of access.E+W+S
2 Interpretation.E+W+S
[F1“health professional” has the same meaning as in the Data Protection Act 2018 (see section 204 of that Act);]
[F2“insurance purposes”, in a case of any individual who has entered into, or is seeking to enter into, a contract of insurance with an insurer, means the purposes of that insurer in relation to that individual;
(a)a person who has permission under [F3Part 4A] of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to effect or carry out contracts of insurance;
“medical practitioner” means a person registered under the M1Medical Act 1983;
[F4(1A)The definitions of “insurance purposes” and “insurer” in subsection (1) must be read with—
F1Words in s. 2(1) substituted (25.5.2018) by Data Protection Act 2018 (c. 12), s. 212(1), Sch. 19 para. 34 (with ss. 117, 209, 210); S.I. 2018/625, reg. 2(1)(g)
F2Definitions of "insurance purposes" and "insurer" in s. 2(1) substituted (1.12.2001) for definition of "insurance purposes" by S.I. 2001/3649, arts. 1, 311(2)
F3Words in s. 2(1) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 18 para. 59 (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, Sch.
F4S. 2(1A) inserted (1.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3649, arts. 1, 311(3)
C1S. 2(1) amended (9.5.1998) by 1993 c. 21, ss. 38(4)(5); S.I. 1998/1138, art. 2(e)(viii) (which s. 38 of the 1993 Act was repealed (1.3.2000) by 1998 c. 29, s. 74(2), Sch. 16 Pt. I; S.I. 2000/183, art. 2(1))
C2S. 2(1) amended (prosp.) by 1994 c. 17, ss. 38(5)(6), 44(3) (which s. 38 of the 1994 Act was repealed (1.3.2000) by 1998 c. 29, s. 74(2), Sch. 16 Pt. I; S.I. 2000/183, art. 2(1))
3 Consent to applications for medical reports for employment or insurance purposes.E+W+S
(1)A person shall not apply to a medical practitioner for a medical report relating to any individual to be supplied to him for employment or insurance purposes unless—
(2)Any notification given under subsection (1)(a) above must inform the individual of his right to withhold his consent to the making of the application, and of the following rights under this Act, namely—
(a)the rights arising under sections 4(1) to (3) and 6(2) below with respect to access to the report before or after it is supplied,
(b)the right to withhold consent under subsection (1) of section 5 below, and
(c)the right to request the amendment of the report under subsection (2) of that section,
as well as of the effect of section 7 below.
4 Access to reports before they are supplied.E+W+S
(1)An individual who gives his consent under section 3 above to the making of an application shall be entitled, when giving his consent, to state that he wishes to have access to the report to be supplied in response to the application before it is so supplied; and, if he does so, the applicant shall—
and each such notification shall contain a statement of the effect of subsection (2) below.
(2)Where a medical practitioner is notified by the applicant under subsection (1) above that the individual in question wishes to have access to the report before it is supplied, the practitioner shall not supply the report unless—
(a)he has given the individual access to it and any requirements of section 5 below have been complied with, or
(3)Where a medical practitioner—
(a)receives an application for a medical report to be supplied for employment or insurance purposes without being notified by the applicant as mentioned in subsection (1) above, but
(i)he has given the individual access to it and any requirements of section 5 below have been complied with, or
(4)References in this section and section 5 below to giving an individual access to a medical report are references to—
5 Consent to supplying of report and correction of errors.E+W+S
(1)Where an individual has been given access to a report under section 4 above the report shall not be supplied in response to the application in question unless the individual has notified the medical practitioner that he consents to its being so supplied.
(2)The individual shall be entitled, before giving his consent under subsection (1) above, to request the medical practitioner to amend any part of the report which the individual considers to be incorrect or misleading; and, if the individual does so, the practitioner—
(a)if he is to any extent prepared to accede to the individual’s request, shall amend the report accordingly;
(b)if he is to any extent not prepared to accede to it but the individual requests him to attach to the report a statement of the individual’s views in respect of any part of the report which he is declining to amend, shall attach such a statement to the report.
(3)Any request made by an individual under subsection (2) above shall be made in writing.
6 Retention of reports.E+W+S
(1)A copy of any medical report which a medical practitioner has supplied for employment or insurance purposes shall be retained by him for at least six months from the date on which it was supplied.
(2)A medical practitioner shall, if so requested by an individual, give the individual access to any medical report relating to him which the practitioner has supplied for employment or insurance purposes in the previous six months.
(3)The reference in subsection (2) above to giving an individual access to a medical report is a reference to—
7 Exemptions.E+W+S
(1)A medical practitioner shall not be obliged to give an individual access, in accordance with the provisions of section 4(4) or 6(3) above, to any part of a medical report whose disclosure would in the opinion of the practitioner be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the individual or others or would indicate the intentions of the practitioner in respect of the individual.
(2)A medical practitioner shall not be obliged to give an individual access, in accordance with those provisions, to any part of a medical report whose disclosure would be likely to reveal information about another person, or to reveal the identity of another person who has supplied information to the practitioner about the individual, unless—
(3)Where it appears to a medical practitioner that subsection (1) or (2) above is applicable to any part (but not the whole) of a medical report—
(b)references in the preceding sections of this Act to the individual being given access to the report shall be construed as references to his being given access to the remainder of it;
and other references to the report in sections 4(4), 5(2) and 6(3) above shall similarly be construed as references to the remainder of the report.
(4)Where it appears to a medical practitioner that subsection (1) or (2) above is applicable to the whole of a medical report—
and accordingly, if he is so notified by the individual, the restrictions imposed by section 4(2) and (3) above on the supply of the report shall not have effect in relation to it.
8 Application to the court.E+W+S
(1)If a court is satisfied on the application of an individual that any person, in connection with a medical report relating to that individual, has failed or is likely to fail to comply with any requirement of this Act, the court may order that person to comply with that requirement.
(2)The jurisdiction conferred by this section shall be exercisable by [F5the county court] or, in Scotland, by the sheriff.
F5Words in s. 8(2) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 9 para. 52(1)(b)(2); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(c) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)
9 Notifications under this Act.E+W+S
Any notification required or authorised to be given under this Act—
(1)This Act may be cited as the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988.
(2)This Act shall come into force on 1st January 1989.
(3)Nothing in this Act applies to a medical report prepared before the coming into force of this Act.