National Institute for Health Protection
 National Institute for Health Protection  | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Formation | 18 August 2020 |
| Leader | Dido Harding |
The National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) is a UK government agency which was launched on 18 August 2020 and merges some of Public Health England's COVID-19/Pandemic response work with the coronavirus test and trace system. The NIHP will work with all four chief medical officers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as closely with local authorities, answering directly to the Health and Social Care Secretary.
Baroness Dido Harding, who runs NHS Test and Trace in England, is to be the interim chief of the NIHP.[1]
Contents
Mission
In a speech on 18 August 2020, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the NIHP "will have a single and relentless mission", which will be "protecting people from external threats to this country's health". He said this would include "external threats like biological weapons, pandemics, and of course infectious diseases of all kinds".
Role
Role of National Institute for Health Protection:
- NIHP Local Health Protection Teams to deal with infections and other threats;
- Support and resources for local authorities to manage local outbreaks;
- The Covid-19 Testing Programme;
- Contact tracing;
- The Joint Biosecurity Centre;
- Emergency response and preparedness to deal with the most severe incidents at national and local level;
- Research and reference laboratories and associated services;
- Specialist epidemiology and surveillance of all infectious diseases;
- The Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards;
- Global health security; and
- Providing specialist scientific advice on immunisation and countermeasures.[2]
Critical tweets
Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat's health, wellbeing and social care spokesperson criticised the decision to promote a "Tory insider who's been responsible for the sub-par Test and Trace system". She said in a tweet that "total transparency" was needed when it came to such appointments.[3]
Labour's shadow health minister Justin Madders said in a tweet that there had been "no transparency or accountability" in Baroness Harding's appointment.[4]
Parody Boris Johnson tweeted:
- I'm delighted to confirm Dido Harding as head of our new Public Health agency, after she passed our recruitment checklist:
- a) track record of failure
- b) Tory peer
- c) no experience in public health or medicine
- d) friend of Matt Hancock[5]
References
- ↑ "Coronavirus: Dido Harding to be temporary head of new health agency"
- ↑ "PHE to be replaced with UK-wide 'health protection' institute"
- ↑ "We need to have total transparency in how appointments of this kind are made, rather than promoting a Tory insider who's been responsible for the sub-par Test & Trace system"
- ↑ "I’m literally speechless, appointed to a body that hasn’t been created yet without an interview and with a track record like that- absolutely no transparency or accountability"
- ↑ "I'm delighted to confirm Dido Harding as head of our new Public Health agency"
