From 1 November 2018, Victorian public and private hospitals will be required to notify the Department of Health and Human Services of anaphylaxis presentations (Department) under an amendment to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic) (Act).
The amendment to the Act requires an anaphylaxis reporting body to notify the department 'if a registered medical practitioner employed at, or otherwise engaged by, the anaphylaxis reporting body has reasonable grounds to believe that a person presenting for treatment at the anaphylaxis reporting body has anaphylaxis'.
The amendment also requires the ‘person in charge’ of the hospital to ensure that processes are implemented to ensure that the hospital complies with the notification requirements.
Anaphylaxis presentations must be notified in accordance with the prescribed requirements of the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 (Vic) (Regulations).
Under the Regulations, hospitals will be required to notify the Department of anaphylaxis presentations within five days of initial diagnosis, electronically through the Department’s online form, unlessthe suspected cause of anaphylaxis is the consumption of a packaged food. In this case, notification is required immediately by telephone.
Read the new amendment to the Act here (section 18).