Responsibility for notification #
The superintendent of a laboratory who is aware (by reason of a test carried out in, or a test result received by, the laboratory) that a person ‘has evidence’ of an HIV-positive status, must notify the director or public health officer in accordance with the requirements of div 1 pt 1 of the Guidelines for Notifying Diseases and Food Contaminants (issued by the director of public health under the Public Health Act 1997 (Tas)).
The guidelines may require any person or class of person, agency or public authority to notify the director if they are aware of, or suspect HIV is present, or may have occurred, in any water or food or any tissue, substance of secretion of the human body. The guidelines may also outline the form and content of the notifications (Public Health Act 1997 (Tas) s 46).
Responsibility for notification #
The notification must be identified by the first 2 letters of the given name followed by the first 2 letters of the surname of the patient. The gender, date of birth, suburb of usual residence, postcode and whether the person is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or both (if known) must be provided.
In addition, the laboratory-allocated number for the specimen, the date the specimen was collected, the method of diagnosis and the date the test result was authorise must be included in the notification. Details of the superintendent, the laboratory and the medical practitioner who requested the test must also be provided in accordance with the Guidelines for Notifying Diseases and Food Contaminants.
