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Matt Hancock, Health and Care Secretary, has confirmed that Public Health England (PHE) will be replaced with a new organisation called the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP).
The NIHP is to bring together the infectious disease, health protection and pandemic response work of PHE and NHS Test and Trace along with the Joint Biosecurity Centre (for analysis) under a single leadership team. The NIHP will start work immediately to minimise disruption to vital work dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The organisation will be formalised from spring 2021.
The NIHP’s primary focus is to control infectious disease and deal with pandemics or health protection crises. The group will work with local government, the NHS and the devolved administrations “to ensure we have the strongest possible health protection system for the whole of the UK”.