Regulation 2 Interpretation

In these Regulations:—

• “the Act” means the Access to Personal Files Act 1987;

• “appropriate health professional” means—

  1. (a)

     the medical practitioner or dental practitioner who is currently or was most recently responsible for the clinical care of the tenant or the member of his family who is the subject of the relevant information in connection with the matters on which information is sought; or

  2. (b)

     where there is more than one such practitioner, the practitioner who is the most suitable to advise on the matters on which information is sought; or

  3. (c)

     where there is no practitioner available falling within sub-paragraph (a) or (b), a health professional who has the necessary experience and qualifications to advise on the matters on which information is sought;

• “authority” means a Housing Act local authority;

• “care” includes examination, investigation and diagnosis;

• “dental practitioner” and “medical practitioner” mean, respectively, a person registered under the Dentists Act 1984^f1 and the Medical Act 1983^f2;

• “health authority” has the same meaning as in section 128(1) of the National Health Service Act 1977^f3;

• “health professional” means any person listed in the Schedule to these Regulations;

• “inaccurate information” means relevant information which is inaccurate;

• “relevant information” means, in relation to any tenant, accessible personal information held by the authority to which the tenant has addressed a requirement under these Regulations;

• “tenant” means:—

  1. (a)

     the tenant of a dwelling whose immediate landlord is an authority;

  2. (b)

     the former tenant of a dwelling where at any time the immediate landlord was an authority;

  3. (c)

     an individual who is in the process of applying for, or who has applied for, a tenancy of a dwelling from an authority.