Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what general advice and notice of suspect ships they give to port health authorities, customs, immigration and pilots who run the risk of coming into contact with infection on a ship which has recently visited West African ports where ebola is in evidence.

Advice on the arrival of ships from affected countries is being provided from the Department for Transport to Public Health England (PHE). PHE working through its local centres and in conjunction with local authorities and port authorities is determining on a case by case basis the required approach to each ship’s arrival. Important considerations are transit time from port in affected country (anything over 21 days is outside the incubation period for Ebola) and an understanding of the potential exposure of the crew. Maritime Declarations of Health are required routinely from ships arriving in United Kingdom ports which provide advance assurance of the health status of their crews. Notwithstanding this, local public health professionals are available to make proportionate assessments of arriving ship’s crews in order to determine any risk to public health and as required, any further follow up actions.