Bringing 'port health' regulations up to date

This consultation asks your views on a set of updated health protection regulations relating to ships and aircraft, or ‘port health’ regulations. These will replace the existing regulations made in 1979.

The proposed new regulations will make updated provisions, which include:

• local and port health authorities to be responsible for carrying out health protection functions under the regulations
• notification of possible infection or contamination on board a ship or an aircraft
• risk assessment of people, including medical examination, and detention for that purpose if necessary
• risk assessment, including inspection, of a ship or an aircraft (and anything on board)

This takes the process started by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 forward, which is to modernise health protection legislation and implement the ’all hazards’ approach. The regulations also further implement the International Health Regulations 2005, to which the UK is a State Party.