Interesting Fact
UKHSA became fully operational in October 2021 having taken responsibility from Public Health England (PHE) during the Covid pandemic.
Responsibilities
UKHSA is the UK’s permanent standing capacity to prepare for, prevent and respond to health security hazards.
The challenges of protecting the UK’s health are evolving at an unprecedented pace. UKHSA was created to stay one step ahead, providing health security for the nation by protecting from external hazards to health. These are the risks to our health posed by infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and environmental factors.
UKHSA brings together the expertise of Public Health England (PHE) and capabilities that were developed to respond to coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes NHS Test and Trace and the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC).
Our health protection remit goes beyond those of our predecessors. We have an increased role across government and greater collaboration with industry and international partners.
Locally in the South West, Local Health Protection Teams (HPT) provide specialist public health advice and operational support to NHS, Local Authorities and other agencies through Acute Response Centres (ARC):
- local disease surveillance,
- maintaining alert systems,
- investigating and managing health protection incidents and outbreaks,
implementing and monitoring national action plans for infectious diseases at local level.
Key Roles in Response
Work with NHS, Local Authority and other organisations, UKHSA:
- Provide Public Health advice / messages Inc. media
- Contact tracing
- Control measures
- Investigations / Epidemiology
- Treatment and Prophylaxis
Follow up of potentially exposed people
