This multi-agency system demonstrated how
surveillance could improve planning and management
for chemical incidents. National
surveillance of chemical incidents for the whole
of the United Kingdom has subsequently been
developed, improving on the sensitivity of this
system by the addition of more reporting agencies.
We would anticipate that hypotheses generated
from surveillance will lead to work on
prevention of such incidents and protection of
the public health. This system could provide
the basis for other systems such as centralised
reporting of major incidents.21