Prompt recognition, response, and reporting of suspected outbreaks of communicable disease is essential to prevent transmission for the protection of others. The primary objective in outbreak management is to protect public health by identifying the source and implementing control measures promptly to prevent further spread of infection. The investigation and management of outbreaks and implementation of necessary control measures requires multidisciplinary expertise through a risk assessment and collaboration.
Suspected outbreaks
In adult social care settings where 2 or more people are experiencing a similar illness (that are linked in time or place) in your setting, this may be an outbreak and should be reported to the IPC Service.
If you are a school or early years setting, contact the IPC Service if the following occur:
- a higher than previously experienced and/or rapidly increasing number of absences due to the potentially same infection
- evidence of severe disease due to an infection, for example if an individual is admitted to hospital
- more than one infection circulating in the same group of people, for example chicken pox and scarlet fever
Infection Prevention and Control Service
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Telephone: 0151 604 7750
Email: [email protected]
At weekends and on Bank Holidays 9am to 5pm (or after 5pm for urgent queries that cannot wait until the next working day) contact UKHSA local Health Protection Team (out of hours):
Tel: 0344 225 0562
Resources – Care Homes
Resources – Schools and Early Years Settings
In the interest of best practice all schools/early years providers should ensure they complete the checklist below on a regular basis and retain this for your own records as a way of monitoring IPC standards within your settings.
For further information:
Managing outbreaks and incidents