Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether UK-based organisations can access the EDLSNet notification system following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and UKHSA on 1 December 2021.

The European Legionnaires' Disease Surveillance Network notification system is one of the EpiPulse surveillance systems, which integrates several surveillance systems which were previously independent. This facilitates collection, analysis and dissemination of indicator- and event-based surveillance data on infectious diseases and associated health issues, including global epidemic intelligence, whole-genome sequencing, and health determinants.

Appointed experts from the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) and non-EU countries within the European Centre for Disease Control’s (ECDC) cooperation framework, and international organisations can access the portal to report and analyse cases of infectious diseases and pathogens which may threaten public health in the EU and the EEA. The United Kingdom has a nominated EpiPulse Focal Point to oversee and manage access as a non-EU country within ECDC’s cooperation framework.