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It’s goodbye PHE, and hello National Institute for Health Protection

Public Health England is to be replaced by the National Institute for Health Protection; this came as a shock to those working in public health, and to observers with long experience of the service. Valerie Bevan provides an individual assessment.

Dr Valerie Bevan is chair of the British Society for Microbial Technology (BSMT), whose Annual Scientific Conference has been postponed until May 2021. The article below is written in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the BSMT. The views expressed are hers alone and are in no way critical of the hundreds of laboratory staff who are working extremely hard to deliver a good service to the NHS and communities. Dr Bevan previous wrote an article entitled Microbiology testing networks: are they of value and fit for purpose? published in the June issue of this magazine.1

So, the government is creating a new agency, the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) incorporating some of the responsibilities of Public Health England (PHE) with NHS Test and Trace, and the Joint Biosecurity Centre (see Table 1). Although the formal start will be April 2021, the new Institute took immediate responsibility for responding to the current pandemic. Initial indications six weeks after the new management has taken over suggest that it is faring no better than PHE, as testing has again become a burgeoning issue.

Personal impact

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Upcoming Events

USCAP 113th Annual Meeting

Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
23-28 March, 2024

Pathology Horizons 2024

MacDonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath
18-20 April, 2024

Diagnostics North East Conference 2024

The Catalyst, Newcastle upon Tyne
19 April, 2024

ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Fira Gran Via, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
27-30 April 2024

British Society for Microbial Technology Annual Microbiology Conference

UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, London
2 May 2024

EQA Reports: Interpreting Key Information & Troubleshooting Tips

ONLINE - Zoom
Thursday 16th May 2024

Access the latest issue of Pathology In Practice on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.

Download the FREE Pathology In Practice app from your device's App store

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