The National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) will start work immediately, with a single command structure to advance the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From 18 August it brought together Public Health England (PHE), NHS Test and Trace and the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) under a single leadership team.
The responsibilities of the NIHP will include:
- NIHP local health protection teams to deal with infections and other threats
- support and resources for local authorities to manage local outbreaks
- the COVID-19 testing programme
- contact tracing
- the Joint Biosecurity Centre
- emergency response and preparedness to deal with the most severe incidents at national and local level
- research and reference laboratories and associated services
- specialist epidemiology and surveillance of all infectious diseases
- the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards
- global health security
- providing specialistic scientific advice on immunisation and countermeasures
Read the full press release from the government here.
The announcement of the abolition of Public Health England has been met by warnings from health leaders. Over 100 organisations have signed a joint statement voicing their concerns over the reorganisation of health protection in the UK. Their statement sets out the principles that they all believe must underpin the new health improvement system. You can read the statement here.
You can sign the statement and find out more here.
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