Management of Public Health Incidents: Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of NHS led Incident Management Teams - October 2011 (Updated July 2013)

Covering Letter

Chief Medical Officer and Public Health Directorate
Public Health Division

T: 0131-244 2681  F: 0131-244 2157
E: simon.cuthbert-kerr@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

FOR ACTION
Directors of Public Health
Consultants in Public Health Medicine (for circulation to HP teams)
Health Protection Scotland

August 2013

Dear Colleague

Management of Public Health Incidents: Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of NHS led Incident Management Teams

This letter follows a previous communication from Gareth Brown of 3rd September 2012 which outlined the internal changes within the CMO and Public Health Directorate in relation to the way in which we manage notifications from NHS Boards of public health incidents. That letter outlined the decision taken to amalgamate the two parallel on-call rotas in use (one comprising Senior Medical Officers (SMO) and the other a Health Protection Team policy rota) for reporting public health incidents into a single, mixed rota of SMOs and policy staff. 

I am writing to advise a change in the contact number for the CMO and Public Health Directorate on-call team.  All out of hours contact in relation to public health incidents should be done via the new on call mobile on 07824 087787 (in use from 19th August 2013).  This will connect directly to the on call member of staff, replacing the previous messaging service. 

You were previously advised that the ‘Management of Public Health Incidents: Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of NHS led Incident Management Teams’ guidance, which was last revised in October 2011, would be updated to reflect these changes (specifically at Annexes B and I).  This has now been done and the revised document will be available to view and download on the Scottish Government website from Monday 19th August:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/publichealthincidents

I would be grateful if you could cascade this letter to all relevant staff in your Board areas. If you have not already done so, you will also wish to update any current local plans which mention the old on-call contact number (07699 761206) and replace with the new mobile number in use from 19th August 2013 - 07824 087787.

May I also take this opportunity to remind Health Protection Teams in NHS Boards that, having assessed that an incident is or may be occurring (in line with the guidance at paragraph 90, page 23), they are required to inform both Health Protection Scotland and the  Scottish Government.  During office hours contact should be made to Senior Medical Officers on 0131 244 2804 and out of hours to the new mobile number – 07824 087787.

If you have any questions regarding these changes or wish to discuss further, please contact Janet Sneddon in my team on 0131 244 2681.

Yours sincerely

Dr Simon Cuthbert-Kerr
Health Protection Team
Public Health Division