Public Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1967
Under this legislation, doctors in Northern Ireland have a statutory duty to notify the Director of Public Health if they are aware that, or have reasonable grounds to suspect that, a patient is suffering from one of the notifiable diseases.
The Act
The doctor must complete a certificate stating:
- the name, age, sex and address of the patient
- the address of the building where the examination took place
- the notifiable disease from which the patient is, or is suspected to be, suffering
The list of notifiable diseases can be found on the Health Protection Agency’s website
Records management considerations
Organisations should ensure that copies of the notification certificate or counterfoils from a notification book are held securely and retained for the recommended minimum period.