Procedures need to be standardised and communications improved between London’s environmental health departments and the Health Protection Agency’s local Health Protection Units (HPUs) to minimise the risk of gastrointestinal disease outbreaks in the capital, a new report recommends.
The new report has been written by the Joint London Environmental Health Professional, a post created by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the Association of London Environmental Health Managers (Alehm) and the CIEH to improve the standard of gastrointestinal disease notification and surveillance across London.
CIEH London Region Policy Officer Tay Potier said:
“The joint post was established to look at gastro-intestinal disease investigation and surveillance with the London HPUs and environmental health departments. Taking forward the subsequent recommendations will contribute to high quality performance standards for the investigation of gastrointestinal disease and help ensure a successful 2012 Olympics.”
Recommendations include:
- Agreed communication frameworks between environmental departments and the four HPUs for both in and out of hours services
- Production of a joint, pan-London memorandum of understanding on infectious disease notification and investigation, and a related toolkit
- Increased HPU/EH forums and training opportunities
- Increased awareness of the work and services provided by the HPAs London CoSurv development team
- Clarification and agreement regarding notification pathways
The Joint London Environmental Health Professional role consists of three one year phases. Each offers a new environmental health or public health Masters student the opportunity to help to improve the standard of Gastrointestinal infectious disease notification and surveillance across London in the run up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Masters student Camilla Bourn was the first of three EHPs to oversee the project. Camilla’s Report can be read in full here.