Part 2: Health and Adult Social Care Information Section 96: Sharing anonymous health and social care information
This section amends Chapter 1A of Part 9 of the 2012 Act. It inserts, after existing section 251C, a new section 251D relating to the sharing of anonymous information for purposes related to the functions of health or adult social care bodies in England.
	Subsection (1) specifies that a public body which exercises functions in connection with the provision of health services or adult social care in England may require information, other than personal information, from another such public body or from another person who provides health services or adult social care in England. The power applies only in relation to information that relates to the activities of the relevant public body or private provider in connection with the provision of health services or adult social care in England (in pursuance of arrangements made with a public body in the case of a private provider).
	Subsection (2) specifies that a health or social care body may only impose a requirement to provide information under subsection (1) for purposes relating to that body’s functions in connection with the provision of health services or adult social care in England.
	Subsection (3) sets out that regulations may be made to create exceptions to the power to require information. Exceptions could apply to specific, named bodies, descriptions of bodies, descriptions of information, or other exceptions (such as where information is commercially sensitive).
	Subsection (4) sets out that a body on whom a requirement may be imposed under subsection (1) is not required to process information so as to render it into a form in which it must be provided. They are only required to share information if they already hold it in a form that does not identify an individual, or enable the identity of an individual to be ascertained. The effect of subsection (4) is also that they would not be required to process information that would otherwise be subject to an exception introduced by regulations, for example, by redacting information that is subject to an exception.
	Subsection (5) signposts to section 277E of the 2012 Act in respect of enforcement against private health or social care providers.
	Subsection (6) sets out the definitions of certain terms for the purposes of the new section 251D.