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Notifiable Diseases
Notification of a number of specified infectious diseases is required under the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) 1988 Act and the Public Health (Control of Diseases) 1988 Act.
Doctors in England and Wales have "a statutory duty to notify a 'Proper Officer' of the Local Authority of suspected cases of certain infectious diseases." The Proper Officers are required every week to inform the Health Protection Agency (HPA) Centre for Infections (CfI) details of each case of each disease that has been notified. This allows analyses of local and national trends. This information is collected by the Health Protection Agency.1
Notification takes place via the appropriate form and includes:
- Patient's name, age, sex and home address
- The disease or form of poisoning being reported
- Date of onset of symptoms
- If in hospital also:
- Hospital address
- Day admitted
- Whether the disease was contracted in hospital
- Telephone or fax can be used in urgent cases
A fee is payable for notification.
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List of notifiable diseases1
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Notify leprosy directly to the HPA.
There is widespread under-reporting and lack of compliance with these guidelines, both in the UK and abroad.10,11,12
Document references
- Notifiable Diseases, Health Protection Agency
- Diphtheria, Health Protection Agency
- Leptospirosis, Health Protection Agency
- Health Protection Agency; Guidance for public health management of meningococcal disease in the UK. August 2006
- Mumps, Health Protection Agency; General Information
- Health Protection Agency.; Epidemiolgical Data.; Salmonella
- HPA; Guidelines for Smallpox: Response and Management in the Post-Eradication Era
. - Typhoid Fever, Health Protection Agency
- Whooping Cough, Health Protection Agency; General information about pertussis.
- Pillaye J, Clarke A; An evaluation of completeness of tuberculosis notification in the United Kingdom. BMC Public Health. 2003 Oct 6;3:31. [abstract]
- Brabazon ED, O'farrell A, Murray CA, et al; Under-reporting of notifiable infectious disease hospitalizations in a health board region in Ireland: room for improvement? Epidemiol Infect. 2007 Mar 30;:1-7. [abstract]
- Durrheim DN, Massey IP, Kelly H; Re-emerging poliomyelitis--is Australia's surveillance adequate? Commun Dis Intell. 2006;30(3):275-7. [abstract]
DocID: 2524
Document Version: 21
DocRef: bgp306
Last Updated: 23 Apr 2007
Review Date: 22 Apr 2009
Disclaimer: Patient UK has no control of the content of the above links. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by Patient UK.
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