The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is a non-departmental public body. Its role is to help protect UK public health by giving support and advice to the NHS, local authorities, emergency services, the Department of Health and any other organisations that play a part in protecting health.
The HPA operates from four major centres:
- HPA Colindale
- HPA Porton
- The Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards in Chilton
- The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in Potters Bar
There are also local and regional offices across England.
The HPA Act requires the agency to be accountable for the standards of the healthcare services it provides as if it were an NHS authority. This means that the agency is subject to the Care Quality Commission's Annual Health Check and measured against the Department of Health's Standards for Better Health.
What the HPA does
The function of the HPA is to reduce dangers to health such as infections, chemicals and radiation hazards. Its aims are set out in the HPA Act 2004. Its job is "to protect the community (or any part of the community) against infectious diseases and other dangers to health".
The agency is responsible for providing information and services to support a co-ordinated and consistent UK public health response to national emergencies.
Achievements
The HPA has:
- Provided specialist national, regional and local health protection services including advice to others who also have health protection responsibilities
- Provided training to doctors, nurses, biomedical scientists and the emergency services to prepare for and respond to potential bioterrorist incidents and to diagnose and recognise symptoms of unusual, dangerous micro-organisms
- Carried out and co-ordinated exercises at a local and national level with the NHS, local authorities and the emergency services to improve national preparedness in the event of major bioterrorist incidents
- Maintained both national and international surveillance of potential threats and worked with international partners to reduce the impact of threats to public health
- Worked successfully with the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHSW) to ensure delivery of comprehensive health protection services in Wales
- Taken the operational lead for port health arrangements
