Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008

13 Notifiable diseases: duties on registered medical practitioners S

(1) This section applies where a registered medical practitioner has reasonable grounds to suspect that a patient whom the practitioner is attending has a notifiable disease.

(2) The practitioner must, before the expiry of the period of 3 days beginning with the day on which the practitioner forms that suspicion, provide to the relevant health board, in writing, the information mentioned in subsection (6) in so far as it is known to the practitioner.

(3) Without prejudice to subsection (2), if the practitioner considers that the case is urgent, the practitioner must, as soon as reasonably practicable, orally provide to the relevant health board—

(a) the information mentioned in subsection (6) in so far as it is known to the practitioner; and

(b) an explanation of why the practitioner considers the case is urgent.

(4) In determining whether a case is urgent, the practitioner must have regard to—

(a) the nature of the suspected disease;

(b) the ease of transmission of that disease;

(c) the patient's circumstances (including age, sex and health); and

(d) any guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers.

(5) Subsections (2) and (3) do not apply if the practitioner believes on reasonable grounds that another registered medical practitioner—

(a) has complied with those subsections in respect of the patient; or

(b) has provided information in respect of the disease to the relevant health board under section 14(2) or (3).

(6) The information referred to in subsections (2) and (3)(a) is—

(a) the patient's name;

(b) the patient's address and postcode;

(c) the patient's occupation (if the practitioner considers that it is relevant);

(d) the name, address and postcode of the patient's place of work or education (if the practitioner considers that it is relevant);

(e) the patient's sex;

(f) the patient's date of birth;

(g) the suspected disease; and

(h) the patient's NHS identifier.

(7) In this section and section 14, the “relevant health board” is the health board for the area in which the practitioner works.

(8) In this Part, “NHS identifier” means—

(a) the patient's—

(i) community health index number; or

(ii) where that number is not known, NHS identification number; or

(b) where neither of the numbers referred to in paragraph (a) is known, any other number or other indicator which from time to time may be used to identify a patient individually.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 13 in force at 1.1.2010 by S.S.I. 2009/404, art. 2(3), Sch. 3