UK Health Security Agency explained

Agency Name:UK Health Security Agency
Seal:File:UK Health Security Agency Logo.svg
Formed:1 April 2021
Preceding1:Public Health England
Jurisdiction:England
Minister1 Name:Andrew Gwynne
Minister1 Pfo:Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health
Chief1 Position:Chief executive
Chief1 Name:Dame Jenny Harries
Chief2 Position:Chair
Chief2 Name:Ian Peters
Parent Department:Department of Health and Social Care
Child1 Agency:NHS Test and Trace
Child2 Agency:Joint Biosecurity Centre

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a government agency in the United Kingdom, responsible since April 2021 for England-wide public health protection and infectious disease capability and replacing Public Health England. It is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The formation of the UKHSA essentially transferred Public Health England's health improvement functions to DHSC, while its health protection elements form part of the new government agency.[1] Staff and systems were moved into the new organisation in 2021.[2] PHE continued to have a shadow existence until September 2021.[3] UKHSA became fully operational on 1 October 2021.[4]

Formation

A new organisation, initially to be called the Centre for Health Protection, was proposed by Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in July 2020 to combine NHS Test and Trace, the Joint Biosecurity Centre and the health protection functions of Public Health England (PHE).[5] Under the name of the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP), the organisation was established by Hancock on 18 August 2020 as a single leadership structure bringing together NHS Test and Trace, the Joint Biosecurity Centre and all of PHE. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the new organisation was not formally established until 1 April 2021, by which time it was called the UK Health Security Agency. It reports directly to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.[6]

Baroness Harding was the interim executive chair of the new organisation from 18 August 2020 to 7 May 2021.[7] In 2022, the High Court found that her appointment to the position broke equalities legislation.[8] She had been the chair of NHS Improvement since 2017, and at the time was head of the NHS Test and Trace programme, established in May 2020. During questioning by the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Commons, Harding said she held the interim leadership while a full application process was carried out.[9]

In August 2020, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the NIHP would learn from South Korea and from Germany's Robert Koch Institute "where their health protection agencies have a huge, primary, focus on pandemic response".[10] [11] Over time UKHSA has built a relationship with Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, signing a Memorandum of understanding and various visits between the two organisations.[12] [13]

The Telegraph first leaked news of the plans for the new agency on 16 August 2020. They claimed that Public Health England was to be "scrapped" and replaced by a single body combining it with NHS Test and Trace, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] A leaked memo to staff written by the head of Public Health England, Duncan Selbie, said that the aim of the new body was to boost expertise with "much needed new investment".[15] [16] Selbie apologised to staff that the news of the organisation's demise was briefed to The Telegraph before they were told.[17]

In February 2021, Harding said that the new body would not be "fully staffed and up and running" until October 2021.[18]

On 24 March 2021, Hancock announced that the organisation would be formally established on 1 April 2021 under the new name of the UK Health Security Agency, with Dr Jenny Harries stepping down as England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer to become chief executive, and Ian Peters to be chair. Hancock also confirmed that Harries would take over from Harding as lead of England's test, trace and isolate programme.[19] Harries assumed these roles following a hand-over period which lasted until Harding departed on 7 May 2021.

Role

The responsibilities of the UKHSA include:

UKHSA collaborates with Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and Northern Ireland's Public Health Agency.

Response

A 2020 BMJ editorial described the creation of the agency as "extremely foolhardy". It characterised the National Institute for Health Protection as "seem[ing] remarkably similar to the Health Protection Agency abolished in 2013."[23] An August 2020 editorial in The Spectator welcomed the return to an organisation similar in remit to that agency; it criticised Public Health England's focus on health improvement topics such as obesity and binge drinking, arguing that these should be tackled by local NHS health teams.[24] In August 2020 The Telegraph welcomed the change, characterising PHE as the quango "responsible for many critical failures over the course of this [COVID-19] pandemic" that had to be scrapped.[25]

On 2 September 2020, more than 70 health organisations wrote to the government to express concern about the future of health improvement work under these changes.[26]

The appointment of Lady Harding as interim executive chair of the new body was criticised by health experts as she did not have a background in health, and because of her political position.[27] [28] [29] The Guardian quoted allies of hers who, in response, said that she had quickly learned after being appointed chair of NHS Improvement in 2017 and that she had a record of "getting things done" while working in business.

The timing of the reorganisation, during the ongoing pandemic response, was criticised by various health experts and other bodies,[30] including the editorial in the BMJ, the Institute for Government,[31] the King's Fund,[32] and Christina Marriott, the chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health.[10] An editorial in The Guardian compared it to "reorganising a fire brigade as it tries to put out a blaze" and said the decision had been made without proper consultation or scrutiny.[33]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Serle. Jack. 24 March 2021. PHE staff to be split between DHSC and new health security agency. 2 April 2021. Health Service Journal. en.
  2. Web site: 29 March 2021. Transforming the public health system. 2 April 2021. GOV.UK. en.
  3. News: Covid: Health security body gives UK 'protective shield'. BBC News. 24 March 2021.
  4. Web site: UK Health Security Agency launches with a relentless focus on keeping the nation safe. GOV.UK.
  5. 2022
  6. Web site: Government creates new National Institute for Health Protection . 18 August 2020 . GOV.UK.
  7. News: Dido Harding to lead new pandemic agency for England . 17 August 2020 . Financial Times . Hughes . Laura . 17 August 2020.
  8. Web site: Dido Harding's appointment by Matt Hancock in Covid response 'broke equalities law'. 15 February 2022.
  9. Web site: Allegretti. Aubrey. 17 September 2020. Coronavirus: Head of Test and Trace says rise in demand for COVID tests wasn't expected. 19 September 2020. Sky News. en.
  10. Web site: Matt Hancock confirms Public Health England axed with Test and Trace boss Baroness Harding to lead replacement body . 18 August 2020 . Politics Home.
  11. News: Health Secretary axes public health body . 18 August 2020 . BBC News.
  12. Web site: UK Health Security Agency signs agreement with Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency . 2024-07-22 . GOV.UK . en.
  13. Web site: KDCA . UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), visited the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) . 2024-07-22 . KDCA . en.
  14. News: 15 August 2020. Public Health England to be scrapped and replaced by new body. The Telegraph. 15 August 2020. Reuters.
  15. News: Coronavirus: Public Health England 'to be replaced' . 17 August 2020 . BBC News . 17 August 2020.
  16. News: Selbie: 'I am sorry beyond words' . 18 August 2020 . HSJ . 17 August 2020.
  17. News: Boss 'sorry beyond words' after details on Public Health England's future leaked . 17 August 2020 . ITV News.
  18. Web site: Manthorpe. Rowland. 26 February 2021. Revealed: How ministers are planning to seize control of policy from Public Health England. 27 February 2021. Sky News. en.
  19. News: 24 March 2021. Britain to launch new health security agency to battle pandemics. Reuters. 24 March 2021.
  20. Web site: About us. 2 April 2021. GOV.UK. UK Health Security Agency. en.
  21. Web site: New UK Health Security Agency to lead response to future health threats. 2 April 2021. GOV.UK. en.
  22. News: Two UK COVID test makers pull devices due to new review. Reuters. 2 November 2021.
  23. 10.1136/bmj.m3263. The demise of Public Health England. 2020. Scally. Gabriel. BMJ. 370. m3263. 32816779. 221177869.
  24. Web site: Farewell, Public Health England. Christopher Snowdon. 19 August 2020. The Spectator.
  25. News: Public Health England had to be scrapped . 19 August 2020 . The Telegraph. View . Telegraph .
  26. Web site: Campbell. Denis. 2 September 2020. Health leaders warn Boris Johnson over axing of Public Health England. 27 February 2021. the Guardian. en.
  27. News: Campbell . Denis . 18 August 2020 . Dido Harding: confident, loyal – but with precious little relevant experience . The Guardian.
  28. News: Matt Hancock defends appointment of Dido Harding as National Institute for Health Protection head. Evening Standard. Cruse. Ellena. 20 August 2020. 22 August 2020.
  29. Web site: Britain's new health boss sparks cries of cronyism. Politico. 23 August 2020 .
  30. 10.1136/bmj.m3257. Public Health England is axed in favour of new health protection agency. 2020. Iacobucci. Gareth. BMJ. 370. m3257. 32816824. 221159280. free.
  31. Web site: Nickson. Sarah. 19 August 2020. Getting rid of Public Health England will not make dealing with the coronavirus pandemic easier. 27 February 2021. Institute for Government.
  32. Web site: Timmins. Nicholas. Nicholas Timmins. 20 August 2020. Strengthening health protection: right idea, wrong time. 30 August 2020. The King's Fund. en.
  33. Web site: The Guardian view on scrapping Public Health England: not just wrong but highly risky . 18 August 2020 . 19 August 2020 . The Guardian.