The Borders Health Protection Team will respond to reports of certain communicable diseases known as notifiable diseases defined by the Scottish Government. Doctors are legally obliged to report to the Health Protection Team any suspicions of seeing patients with such diseases or conditions: The list includes those diseases which could seriously threaten public health such as anthrax, tuberculosis, meningitis and measles.
DISEASES TO BE NOTIFIED BY REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JANUARY 2010: NOTIFICATIONS ARE BASED ON REASONABLE SUSPICION AND SHOULD NOT AWAIT LAB. CONFIRMATION
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Anthrax |
Botulism |
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Brucellosis |
Cholera |
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Clinical syndrome due to E.coli O157 infection |
Diphtheria |
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Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) |
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) |
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Measles |
Meningococcal disease |
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Mumps |
Necrotizing fasciitis |
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Necrotizing fasciitis |
Paratyphoid |
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Pertussis |
Plague |
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Poliomyelitis |
Rabies |
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Rubella |
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) |
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Smallpox |
Tetanus |
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Tuberculosis (respiratory or non-respiratory) |
Tularemia |
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Typhoid |
Viral haemorrhagic fevers |
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West Nile fever |
Yellow Fever |
Borders Health Protection Team will investigate Borders patients who are diagnosed with or are suspected of having a notifiable disease, undertake contact tracing of cases and monitor outbreaks to highlight linked cases and trends. In some instances they will work closely with environmental health officers in Scottish Borders Council and other agencies to control the spread of such diseases.
Health Protection Scotland (HPS) was establised by the Scottish Goverment in 2005 to strengthen and co-ordinate health protection in Scotland. It helps to bring together existing professional networks (such as NHS Borders Health Team) across Scotland, with aim of improving health protection services in Scotland