Notifiable infectious diseases
The notification system in England and Wales is the oldest national system for collecting statistics on communicable diseases. The Infectious Disease (Notification) Act 1889 was introduced to identify and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Many of the diseases notifiable under that Act are now rare or have been eliminated in England and Wales, but other diseases have been added to the list which now covers 29 infections.
Responsibility for notification
A doctor who makes the diagnosis (confirmed or suspected) of a notifiable infectious disease is required by statute to notify the Proper Officer of their local authority (in this case, Dr Sam Ramiaih, Director of Public Health, Walsall Teaching Primary Care Trust, Lichfield House, Lichfield Street, Walsall, Tel 01922 720255.) The only circumstances in which notification is not required is when the doctor has reason to believe that a colleague has already notified the case. This is not a voluntary reporting system and there are financial penalties for failing to notify a case of a notifiable infection disease.
Who is the 'Proper Officer'?
'Proper Officer' is a term widely used in local government and defined as "an officer appointed for that purpose by that body". In most cases the Proper Officer for some or all of the functions of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 is the Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC), but the most senior professional Environmental Health Officer may also be appointed as Proper Officer for certain sections of the Act.
Why notify?
As in 1889, notifications are necessary to identify and prevent the spread of infectious disease. In some cases notifications are used to monitor the development of community outbreaks or the success of immunisation programmes. In many cases they prompt the identification of vehicles of infection, such as contaminated foodstuffs or the identification and protection of contacts, as in the case of meningitis or tuberculosis.
Diseases which pose a serious threat to the public health, such as meningitis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, etc should be notified by telephone, as should suspected outbreaks of infectious diseases, including food poisoning. Whenever notification is made by telephone, this should always be followed by written notification using the official form.
Which diseases are notifiable?
The following diseases are notifiable under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 or the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988.
- Acute encephalitis
- Acute poliomyelitis
- Anthrax
- Cholera
- Diphtheria
- Dysentery
- Food poisoning
- Leptospirosis
- Malaria
- Measles
- Meningitis
- Meningococcal
- Pneumococcal
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Viral Meningococcal septicaemia (without meningitis)
- Mumps
- Ophthalmia neonatorum
- Paratyphoid fever
- Plague
- Rabies
- Relapsing fever
- Rubella
- Scarlet fever
- Smallpox
- Tetanus
- Tuberculosis
- Typhoid fever
- Viral haemorrhagic fever
- Viral hepatitis
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Whooping cough
- Yellow fever
Government strategy for controlling infectious diseases
In January 2002 the Government published Getting Ahead of the Curve (new window), it's strategy for combating infectious diseases and other aspects of health protection. This document announced a review of the law on infectious diseases, including the contribution of respective agencies. Further information on the notification of infectious diseases is available from the Health Protection Agency (new window). The Lead for this Agency is Dr Ian Blair, Health Proection Lead, Black Country Unit, Kingston House, 438 High Street, West Bromwich.
Statistics - reports of infectious disease for the Walsall area
The WALBUG report (PDF 316KB) includes details of cases which have been formally notified or reported by a hospital microbiologist or infection control officer. They provide information on notifiable infectious diseases and other infections which are important for the public health.
Adobe PDF
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