Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (Northern Ireland), Belfast, UK
Contact person
Dr Neil IrvineCommunicable Disease Surveillance Centre (NI)
Belfast City Hospital
Lisburn Road
Belfast, BT9 7AB
Northern Ireland
Tel +44 (0) 28 9026 3765
Fax +44 (0) 28 9026 3511
Description of the institute
The Northern Ireland Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC (NI)) was established in March 1999 by Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) in collaboration with the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA). It aims to provide high quality information and knowledge to support policy makers, professionals and the public in order to facilitate the control of communicable disease in Northern Ireland, population 1.7 millionStaffing at CDSC (NI) comprises two consultant medical epidemiologists and a part-time consultant microbiologist, supported by 8 scientific, information and administrative staff. A third consultant medical epidemiologist is on secondment to DHSSPS. The Unit has been approved by the UK Faculty of Public Heath as a recognised training location and regularly hosts doctors seeking experience in communicable disease epidemiology. Medical students also have an opportunity to be attached to CDSC (NI) for project work.
The main functions of CDSC (NI) are:
- Surveillance of communicable disease. CDSC (NI) receives laboratory reports of significant infections, notifications of infectious disease and returns from genito urinary medicine clinics. Enhanced surveillance programmes exist for influenza using sentinel practices and out-of-hours GP services, meningococcal infection, syphilis and tuberculosis. The unit is developing antimicrobial resistance and healthcare associated infection surveillance and currently monitors MRSA bacteraemia rates and C.difficile associated diarrhoea. The Unit also monitors vaccination uptake rates part of its vaccine preventable disease programme.
- Policy advice to DHSSPS related to communicable disease.
- Support and advice to Health and Social Services Boards with field investigations.
- Multi-professional training in communicable disease epidemiology and audit of communicable disease control.
The Unit has close working relationships with DHSSPS, the Health and Social Services Boards, the hospitals and their laboratories, genitourinary medicine physicians, the Queen's University of Belfast (Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, Microbiology and General Practice), and with the Department of Agriculture (Scientific and Veterinary Services). There are regular meetings with the relevant professional groups, which the Fellow would have the opportunity to attend and to make a contribution such as presenting work. As the Unit is part of the HPA there is ready access to national surveillance data and expertise, and the Unit is represented on a variety of HPA programme Boards and national groupings. There is well established liaison with the National Disease Surveillance Unit in the Republic of Ireland.
The Unit is located in recently refurbished accommodation at Belfast City Hospital, on the same campus as Northern Ireland’s Public Health Laboratory. The main University Medical Library and the Regional Virology Laboratory are sited 1 kilometre away at the Royal Victoria Hospital. The planned organisational change may, however, mean a change of location for CDSC (NI) during 2009/10.
Training opportunities
The Fellow will be based at CDSC (NI) but there will be opportunities for attachments or secondments to DHSSPS, to one or more of the Consultants in Communicable Disease Control, and to Microbiology Laboratories.Surveillance
There are opportunities for the management, development and evaluation of existing surveillance systems as well as the development of new systems.The trainee will have the opportunity to contribute regular surveillance reports to the Communicable Disease Monthly and Annual Reports and other publications.
Outbreak investigations
The Fellow will be invited to participate in regional outbreak investigation and will assist Consultants in Communicable Disease Control and Consultant Microbiologists in local outbreak investigation.
Research project
There will be opportunities in collaboration with the Microbiology Departments to work on specific research projects e.g. molecular epidemiology of M. tuberculosis, Campylobacter infection etc.
Training
The Fellow will take part in regional and national training activities, and in addition they will have an input into undergraduate and postgraduate medical and nurse education on communicable disease epidemiology. Opportunities also exist to participate in cross border training programmes and investigations with colleagues in the Republic of Ireland
Communication
There is scope both within and outside CDSC (NI) for the Fellow to present his/her work with oral presentations and written publications.
Training supervision
Dr. Neil Irvine will be the main EPIET supervisor. For specific projects, the appropriate consultant for the area of work will supervise the Fellow All necessary support including up-to-date computer equipment, communication and library facilities (both electronic and printed media) are available. The Fellow will be fully integrated into the team and will have access to all information and databases of the Unit.Language requirements
English language will be required.Training history
Number of EPIET fellows trained at institute: Four (1998, 2001, 2003, 2004)Number of EPIET alumni working at institute: One
Available as a training site for cohort 14: Yes