Suspected food poisoning

If you believe that you are suffering from food poisoning then we would advise you to visit your GP to submit a faecal sample.

If you work in a food handling business, childcare or healthcare setting or a setting where it is difficult to maintain personal hygiene, do not return until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped. Please contact us on 01403 215641 for further advice.

If the sample is positive with an infectious disease, your GP and Public Health England will be notified. Public Health England will notify us and depending on the result, you may be contacted to answer some questions to look at the possible cause of your illness.

When should I contact Horsham Environmental Health Department?

First please visit your GP.

Then please consider what you have eaten over the last 5 days and find out whether anyone else you may have eaten with has been affected.

Most people blame the last meal they ate, however this is rarely what causes the symptoms. Some food poisoning bacteria can take up to 5 days to cause illness and there are viruses that cause food poisoning symptoms, such as norovirus.

If you contact us, we will be asking you to remember what you ate at least 72 hours before becoming ill.

If you have concerns about a particular premises within Horsham District, please email us at ehl@horsham.gov.uk

Further information may be found on the NHS website:

NHS advice on food poisoning

NHS advice on diarrhoea and vomiting