The responsibility for infectious disease control in the St Albans District falls jointly between St Albans City and District Council and St Albans and Harpenden NHS Primary Care Trust. The Environment and Health Department work closely with the Consultant in Communicable Disease and the District Control of Infection Nurses.

Environmental Health Officers investigate suspected and confirmed cases of food poisoning for three main reasons.

• To find out what type of food poisoning you are suffering from (if this has not already been done) and which foods have made you ill;
• To investigate any commercial premises such as restaurants or cafés if implicated in your illness;
• To prevent the further spread of infection, especially where young children or people who work with food are involved. This may involve giving practical advice about food safety in the home or advising when it is safe to return to work.

Reports of suspected and confirmed cases of food poisoning reach us by different routes. In most cases we are informed by a local hospital pathology laboratory, which test specimens that have been submitted by the patient's GP, or the Centre for Communicable Disease Control (CCDC).

• About your symptoms
• Details of the foods (including drinks), you ate in the 3 days before you became ill
• Whether anyone else has had a similar illness recently
• About any recent travel abroad or around the UK
• Your occupation
• Details of recent contact with animals (including pets, farm or zoo animals)

Compensation claims arising out of an allegation of food poisoning against a business is a private matter for the sufferer to pursue themselves, with their own legal representative, if required.

The responsibility for giving medical advice and treatment rests solely with the medical profession (e.g. your GP, nurse), although the CCDC can give advice.