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Volume 4 No 12; 26 March 2010

DH guidance on new health protection legislation


New regulations will shortly come into force which complete the modernised legal framework for health protection in England. Three sets of Regulations complement the updated Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, which was substantially amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 [1].

The 2008 Act introduced an “all hazards” approach to health protection whereby the need for action is determined by the potential for a case of human infection or contamination to present a significant public health hazard, rather than by reference to a list of specified infectious diseases, as has been the case since the late 19th century.

The new system aims to facilitate prompt investigation of, and response to, public health risks. It requires registered medical practitioners (RMPs), and laboratories, to notify not only a specific list of notifiable infectious diseases and causative agents (listed in Schedules to the regulations), but also requires RMPs to notify cases of other infections (such as those caused by new or emerging diseases) or contamination, such as with chemicals or radiation, that may pose a significant risk to public health.

The Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/659), coming into force on 6 April (except for provisions relating to laboratory notifications, which apply from 1 October), significantly improve and extend the existing arrangements for statutory notification of infectious diseases in England.

The Health Protection (Local Authority Powers) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/657) and the Health Protection (Part 2A Orders) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/658), also coming into force from 6 April, set out, with the amended 1984 Act, the powers and duties of local authorities and justices of the peace to take action to protect public health from a risk of significant harm from infection or contamination, if voluntary cooperation cannot be secured. They provide a wider and more flexible set of powers than previously existed.

The Department of Health and the HPA, in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health with contributions from other stakeholders, have prepared guidance setting out the detail of the new arrangements, including operational guidance to assist those who have duties or related responsibilities under the regulations [2].


References

1. The Health Protection (LA powers) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/657); the Health Protection (Part 2A orders) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/658); and the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/659). Downloadable at: Office of Public Sector Information, http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si-2010-index.

2. HPA/CIEH/NHS. Health Protection Legislation (England) Guidance 2010 (in electronic PDF format only), produced by the HPA and the Department of Health in consultation with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, 25 March 2010. Downloadable at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/
DH_114510 [2.35 MB PDF].

Good practice reminder on open farms

The Health Protection Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services have jointly published a reminder of good practice in reducing the risk of infection to visitors to open farms which, it is recognised, cannot be completely eliminated.

The reminder note, which complements the existing HSE guidance, has been sent to all local authorities who are responsible for regulating the safety of open farms, and to members of the National Farm Attractions Network.

Reference

1. Understanding and managing the risks from E. coli O157 in an open farm context, 23 March. HPA website (PDF, 408 KB).

European survey of campylobacter and salmonella in chicken at slaughterhouses


The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published the results of a survey on Campylobacter and Salmonella in chicken at slaughterhouses in the European Union. In most EU Member States, a high prevalence of Campylobacter was found in chickens, whereas Salmonella was less frequently detected. These zoonoses are the cause of the two most reported food-borne diseases in humans in the EU: campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis. This was EFSA’s sixth baseline survey on food-borne bacteria carried out at an EU level and the first to directly investigate the presence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in chickens at slaughter.

Reference

1. "Analysis of the baseline survey on the prevalence of Campylobacter in broiler batches and of Campylobacter and Salmonella on broiler carcasses in the EU, 2008", 23 March. Available at: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/scdoc/1503.htm.