Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, where testing of samples from patients in Scotland suspected of having Ebola takes place.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Since 1 December 2014, Ebola testing facilities are being provided through NHS Lothian by the Scottish National Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Test Service, based at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Prior to December, all samples were sent to the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory testing facility at Porton Down in Wiltshire.
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library copies of the protocols on joint working between the NHS in Scotland and England on Ebola.
Answered by Jane Ellison
There are no written protocols on joint working between the National Health Service in Scotland and England which focus specifically on Ebola. NHS England works very closely with colleagues in Scotland and other Devolved Administrations to ensure effective joint working to respond to a wide variety of issues, including Ebola.
NHS England works to the Service Specification for High Level Isolation Units, covering the two high secure units in England located at the Royal Free Hospital in London and the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with both units serving the whole United Kingdom. This specification has been attached.
The Department and the Health and Safety Executive published the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens’ Guidance on “Management of Hazard Group 4 viral haemorrhagic fevers and similar human infectious diseases of high consequence” in November 2014. A copy has been attached.