Gastrointestinal infections

The remit of the gastroenteritis and port health team extends to the following areas:

  • zoonotic disease
  • general gastro-intestinal illness
  • water related issues both microbiological and chemical
  • food related issues related to human infective diseases
  • port health

A multi-disciplinary team includes doctors, nurses and information officers covering  a wide range of problems/issues within remit. Team members also contribute to the acute services team; surveillance of the relevant diseases is an important foundation for team work.

 In relation to the above areas, the activity of the team involves:

  • preparation of business plans
  • reviewing and updating relevant questionnaires and protocols
  • organising education activities
  • commenting on the surveillance of disease
  • preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual reports
  • reviewing the management of outbreaks
  • preparation and revision of outbreak plans

Some of the activity is dealt with by a weekly quality assurance meeting.

Drinking water and health: a guide for public and environmental health professionals and for those in the water industry in Northern Ireland

This document sets out the roles and responsibilities of those organizations involved in the provision and safety of drinking water. It describes the arrangements and protocols in place to monitor compliance with standards and response to emergency or incident situations. It also contains reporting templates to be used by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) and Environmental Health Departments.

Drinking water and health: a guide for public and environmental health professionals and for those in the water industry in Northern Ireland

 This document sets out the roles and responsibilities of those organizations involved in the provision and safety of drinking water. It describes the arrangements and protocols in place to monitor compliance with standards and response to emergency or incident situations. It also contains reporting templates to be used by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) and Environmental Health Departments.

The guidelines are hosted on the NIW website.

Key areas of ongoing work

  • Development of regional outbreak plan
  • Review and updating of protocols
  • Continuous monitoring of gastro-intestinal diseases
  • Audit of port health issues 

Courses / conferences - Nil

Key links

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england

Investigation Questionnaires

The following questionnaires should be used with effect from 1 January 2012. These supersede all previous versions.

Patient Factsheets

Campylobacter Factsheet

Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC)

Giardiasis Factsheet

Food Poisoning Factsheet

Salmonella Factsheet

Cryptosporidium Factsheet

Collecting A Stool Factsheet

Surveillance Data

Please click here.