Guidance

Appendix 3: Roles and responsibilities  

Published 23 September 2024

Applies to England

Appendix 3: Roles and responsibilities  

Consultant in Health Protection: UKHSA

• chair the IMT (this may be done by other senior members of the HPT such as nurse consultants or senior health protection practitioners)
• to determine, in consultation with the HPT, the status of the outbreak/incident and therefore whether to institute the plan

• to provide expert support to the governing governor/director/centre manager/ responsible individual in determining whether:

  • an outbreak/incident control team should be established
  • how often it should be convened during an event
  • when it can be stood down
• in partnership with the governor/director/centre manager/responsible individual, and any appropriate others, to co-ordinate the management of the outbreak/incident
• take the lead in the public health risk assessment of the incident, and advise on the need for, and interpretation of, clinical and epidemiological investigations
• provide public health advice to the team, covering the measures necessary to manage the public health risks
• to define a contact as set in the context of the outbreak or incident and complete a risk assessment of any contacts identified
• ensure that information about the outbreak/incident is communicated to those who need to know, including other members of the UKHSA, the integrated care system (ICS) and DPH
• communicate with other parts of UKHSA including Field Service (FS), UKHSA labs and escalate concerns as required
• co-ordinate the written final report on the outbreak/incident and ensure that the response to the outbreak/incident is audited if required
• ensure that the lessons identified are communicated to the management of partner organisations as relevant

Governor/director/centre manager/responsible individual

• direct and co-ordinate the management of the outbreak/incident within the secure setting by working with healthcare leads and department leads, based on the advice of UKHSA and the IMT
• ensure public health actions recommended by the IMT are implemented or recorded in a defensible decision log if not implemented
• arrange the appropriate identification of contacts within the setting
• provide all relevant information to ensure effective contact tracing can take place
• communicate with appropriate regional and national colleagues to update on the operational impact of incident or outbreak and advice provided by IMT, which has any impact on the regime or the ability of the secure setting to receive or transfer residents
• co-ordinate effective communications within the setting and with the lead organisation press office and with those living in the secure setting
• ensure that the lessons identified are communicated to the management of partner organisations as relevant

NHSE regional health and justice public health leads

• provide public health support and advice to regional system partners, including governor/director/centre manager/responsible individual
• communicate with appropriate regional and national colleagues to ensure efficient and accurate knowledge management
• ensure learning is applied within settings who have experienced an outbreak and implement preventative actions to prevent from future outbreaks
• support assurance to ensure that IMT actions are implemented
• encourage settings to undertake early reporting of potential outbreaks

NHS healthcare in secure setting

• implement recommendations as agreed by an IMT which could include contact tracing of certain diseases (for example, sexually transmitted disease)
• follow up contacts as agreed by the HPT
• collect and document relevant information/data on residents and staff
• organise the provision of appropriate nursing and medical staff to manage increased workload relating to symptom relief and infection control stock and requirements

NHSE health and justice commissioners

• support providers with the delivery of services and IMT recommendations
• consider if additional resources are required to deliver IMT actions

Infection control nurse

• provide specialist infection prevention and control advice on, and input into, management of the outbreak/incident
• in conjunction with the prison/place of detention to ensure that all appropriate infection prevention and control measures are implemented

Director of Public Health (DPH)

The DPH should be alerted to an incident/outbreak in a secure setting and updated as necessary. It is likely that that a representative of the Director of Public Health will attend, and they should be sighted in all communications.

Environmental health officer

• provide specialist expertise and advice on the environmental aspects of the outbreak
• ensure that an effective environmental investigation is undertaken

• identify and provide resources required from environmental health services including those needed to:

• carry out inspections of premises implicated in the outbreak
• depending on existing local arrangements, collect appropriate specimens for screening of patients, contacts and staff in the community and organise an ILOG number
• collect appropriate food/water samples and environmental swabs
• identify food handlers that should be excluded from work
• arrange for exclusion and monitor that exclusion
• liaise with other environmental health departments as necessary

• liaise with other agencies as necessary

• institute any statutory action, for example the detention or seizure of food, the service of hygiene improvement and/or hygiene emergency prohibition notices and their prosecution
• ensure that all environmental health aspects of the outbreak are accurately documented
• ensure that the local authority is kept fully up to date with the progress of the investigation

Consultant microbiologist

• organise appropriate laboratory investigation of the outbreak/incident and timely communication of the results
• provide specialist advice on the microbiological aspects of the outbreak/incident
• liaise with microbiologists in other laboratories, including reference laboratories, which are involved in the investigation

Administrative and clerical support to the IMT

• take minutes of each IMT and to produce a timely written record of the meeting
• capture information for decision making during an incident or outbreak following best practice
• be involved in other administrative and clerical functions as appropriate to the incident/outbreak

Communications managers/press officers

• advise and assist in the preparation of communications for the media and seek authorisation for communications where this is required for example from the lead organisation press offices
• ensure that a spokesperson(s) for the incident response has been identified and agreed and to support them as required in preparing materials for press release or in preparing for interviews
• communicate with the media if directed by the IMT
• liaise closely with press/communications officers of partner organisations as appropriate to ensure that all information is agreed and consistent