Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made in establishing the National Institute for Health Protection as a replacement for Public Health England.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 24 March (HCWS884), from 1 April, we will formally establish the new United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The UKHSA will be the country’s permanent standing capacity to prepare for, prevent and respond to threats to health.
While Public Health England’s remit has spanned both health protection and health improvement, the UKHSA will be focused entirely on planning for, preventing and responding to the risk of future infectious disease pandemics and other major health threats. The UKHSA will work with partners around the world, lead the UK’s global contribution to global health protection research and hold responsibility for health security scientific capabilities including those at Porton Down and Colindale.
The transition of responsibilities and capabilities from Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace into the new Agency will take place over the coming months, with the UKHSA fully operational from October 2021. Key performance metrics for the UKHSA will be determined as part of this transition.