Legionnaires' disease: national surveillance scheme
Guidance on the control and prevention of Legionnaires' disease in England, including disease surveillance and reporting forms.
Documents
Details
The guidance document outlines the protocol for the national surveillance scheme for Legionnaires’ disease.
The national surveillance scheme:
- detects clusters or outbreaks of legionella infection in England and Wales or abroad
- identifies sources of infection so that control measures can be applied to prevent further cases
- offers legionella surveillance information
National surveillance reporting forms
Report all confirmed cases of Legionellosis to the national surveillance scheme for Legionnaires’ disease using the national surveillance form.
Information request forms
Request more information from the Legionella Epidemiology Section, at the National Infection Service using the request form.
Single accommodation sites: 10-point approach for reducing the risk of Legionnaires’ disease
All accommodation sites associated with a single case of Legionnaires’ disease should be contacted by local environmental health authorities and issued with a document specifically for owners/managers of accommodation sites which outlines a 10-point approach to reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease. This is to remind owners/managers of these sites of their legal requirements in managing their water systems to ensure the health and safety of their employees and guests.
The enforcing agency for the premises may request further investigations or measures in addition to the accommodation site reviewing this document.
Cluster accommodation sites: legionella incident reporting form
To assist all owners/managers of commercial accommodation sites maintain a high level of water management a site associated with 2 or more cases of Legionnaires’ disease within a 2-year period should undertake a risk assessment by local environmental health or health and safety agency (depending on which agency is responsible for enforcement of the site). The outcome of the risk assessment should then be followed up with necessary control measures.
The reporting form is a guide for local environmental health officers to carry out and record the findings of a risk assessment carried out on a commercial accommodation site followed by a record of actions and outcomes of remedial measures implemented.
The report is divided into 2 parts:
Part 1: risk assessment, with a recommended 2-week period within which to carry out a full risk assessment of the site.
Part 2: control measures, recommended to be completed within a further 4 weeks of the cluster being identified. This time period should allow for sampling to be carried out and results obtained and for remedial actions to have commenced.
This document is a guide and the enforcing agency for the premises may request further investigations or measures in addition to any included within the document.
Last updated 2 June 2020 + show all updates
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Reporting form updated to include COVID-19.
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Added new versions of the 'National Surveillance form'.
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Uploaded new version of the reporting forms.
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Document entitled "Guidance on the control and prevention of Legionnaires’ disease in England Technical paper 1 – disease surveillance" has been removed in order to avoid confusion while the updated version is being created.
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Updated the guidance on disease surveillance of Legionnaires' disease
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Updated versions of the national surveillance scheme forms (PDF and Word versions).
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First published.