Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many public bodies responsible for public health there (a) are in 2020 and (b) were in 2010.

In 2010, 152 primary care trusts were responsible for commissioning services to improve the health of the population and the Health Protection Agency, a special health authority, was responsible for providing an integrated approach to protecting United Kingdom public health. Ten strategic health authorities had strategic supervision over the primary care trusts. In addition, there were a number of other specialist organisations responsible for specific aspects of public health delivery and data. Unitary and upper-tier local authorities had responsibilities under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.

On 1 April 2013, Public Health England (PHE) was established as an executive agency of the Department, under powers and duties conferred on the Secretary of State for Health by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. PHE brought together staff and functions from over 70 organisations including the Health Protection Agency, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, National Health Service bodies, public health observatories, the National Cancer Intelligence Network, the Department and other organisations.

Also on 1 April 2013, unitary and upper tier local authorities – currently 152 in number – were given statutory responsibility for local health improvement, in addition to their pre-existing public health responsibilities. Primary care trusts and strategic health authorities were abolished in 2013.

NHS England currently exercises specified national public health functions under a statutory delegation from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.