Antibiotic Prescribing Policy Sepsis 5a

Infection Prevention Solutions

processes expected to be undertaken. Reviews are the responsibility of the acute Trust or CCG (depending on timing of positive specimen) and GPs as well as hospice managers responsible for individual patients’ will be informed if their participation is required on a case by case basis.

Monitoring of mandatory reporting of key infections is routinely undertaken by local commissioners of health care and may be included in local performance monitoring systems.

NOTIFIABLE DISEASES

Some infectious diseases may spread easily in a community or may cause serious diseases in individuals. The requirement to notify some infectious diseases is contained within the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, updated 2010. Additional guidance and the list of notifiable diseases are contained in the Health Protection Legislation (England) Guidance 2010. This list is reproduced in Appendix 1 to this section. In addition, the legislation contains a full list of notifiable microorganisms inc. those responsible for cases of food-poisoning.

It is the responsibility of Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) to notify any suspected or confirmed instance of notifiable disease to the local authority and / or local health protection teams (local arrangements will vary). Laboratories also have notification responsibilities.

Additionally RMPs are required to notify instances of infection which, in the view of the clinician presents, or could present, significant risk to human health and this should include new or emerging infections.

The regulations concern only single incidents of infection or suspected infection. The guidance however does advise that RMPs continue to voluntarily notify clusters of cases of infection whether the disease in question is notifiable or not. This includes, for example, outbreaks of diarrhoea / vomiting.

Notification by clinicians should be to the ‘Proper Officer’ within the local authority or health protection team. This may in some cases be deemed urgent (see table below) in which case notification by telephone is required. In all cases notification should also be made on a written form within 3 days. Such written notification may be made by secure email. Notification forms can be acquired from the local authority or Public Health England health protection team.

Local arrangements for health protection teams in your region can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england