The guidance and toolkits should be considered alongside national legislation and policy and are intended to complement disease and organisation-specific guidance. The contents of the guidance and toolkits should not be considered prescriptive and do not override established and functional operating practice and arrangements at a local system level. However, local systems should be informed by the contents with a view to developing consistent outbreak management practice over time.

The communicable disease outbreak management guidance and toolkits provide information on principles for the identification and management of outbreaks and resources to support local health protection system response to outbreaks of communicable disease.  

TheWorking closely with NHS England (NHSE) and wider system partners, the guidance and toolkits have been developed by:

• UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
• Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH)
• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
• Food Standards Agency (FSA)
• Local Government Association (LGA)

And working closely with NHS England (NHSE) and wider system partners.