Port Health

We enforce infectious disease control measures at Leith Docks, the oil tanker terminal at Hound Point and Hawes Pier, South Queensferry, and at Edinburgh airport in terms of the International Health Regulations 2005.

Sea

All ships travelling out with the UK must have a current ship sanitation control or exemption certificate.  We can issue both control and exemption ship sanitation certificates at the ports, which last for 6 months. We can also visit ships and take water samples for microbiological, chemical or legionella testing for a reasonable charge. Our pest control team can carry out treatments for visiting ships e.g. mice or cockroaches.

If there is any infectious disease on board a ship, the ships owners or agent must tell us before it arrives. We, along with the NHS, investigate outbreaks of infectious disease on board a ship, e.g. a norovirus outbreak.

Shipping agents should contact us if a ship requires a new sanitation certificate, water sampling, or need advice. See below for the list of charges, effective from 1st April 2011:

Gross Tonnage of Ship               Charge (£)

Up to 1000                                                           70

1001 to 3000                                                       105

3001 to 10000                                                     160

10001 to 20000                                                    210

20001 to 30000                                                    265

over 30000                                                           320

Please note there may be additional costs for sampling or launch hire if needed.  Costs for sampling are £50 per micro water sample, £100 per chemical water sample.

Air

At the airport the air crew calls ahead to tell us if there are sick passengers on a flight due to land in Edinburgh.  We can take action such as visiting the aircraft with a medic to assess the condition of ill passengers. If need be we arrange for them to be isolated or taken to hospital. We may need to arrange for cleaning or disinfection of the aircraft before it leaves.