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3. The Health Protection Agency
Getting Ahead of the Curve proposed the creation of a new agency to act as a source of national expertise and to provide key services at national, regional and local level in a range of specified areas of health protection.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is now established as a new organisation dedicated to protecting people's health and to reducing the impact of infectious diseases, poisons, chemical and radiological hazards.
The HPA brings together the expertise of a number of organisations, including:
- The Public Health Laboratory Service, including the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre
- The Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research
- The National Focus for Chemical Incidents
- The Regional Service Provider Units that support the management of chemical incidents
- The National Poisons Information Service
- NHS public health staff responsible for control of infectious disease, emergency planning and other protection support
It works in partnership with the National Radiological Protection Board. (Primary legislation is planned to incorporate the NRPB into the Health Protection Agency).
The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said:
"The creation of the Agency is one of the most exciting and innovative developments in the field of health protection internationally. In the face of new and continuing threats from infectious diseases and environmental hazards the Agency will provide more effective services for health protection and health emergency planning."
For more information on the work and role of the HPA, visit its website:
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