Directors of public health have the difficult role of combining the functions of a public health advocate with those of an executive member of a statutory authority. The latter role requires that they do not expose fellow authority members to legal sanction as a result of breaking the law. My understanding of the Data Protection Act was that the action proposed by Lyons and colleagues could well contravene it It seemed questionable that we would be utilising data collected by our agency for one purpose to supply without permission to a separate agency for a distinct purpose. I therefore sought legal advice from the health authority's retained solicitors.
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