Public Health England

Public Health England (PHE) took over the functions of the Health Protection Agency (formerly known as the Public Health Laboratory Service) in relation to foodborne disease outbreak investigation and studies of the microbiological quality of foods in April 2003.

Its main role is to provide an integrated approach to protecting UK public health through the provision of support and advice to the NHS, local authorities, emergency services, other Arms Length Bodies, the Department of Health and the Devolved Administrations. PHE was established as a special health authority (SpHA) in 2003.

PHE has 4 regions:

• London
• North of England (centres for the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and North West)
• South of England (centres for the South East, and South West)
• Midlands and East of England (centres for the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England).

The London regional team is both an integrated region and a centre.

Publications

PHE publishes the journal Health Protection Report (HPR) and makes input into Eurosurveillance.

Now discontinued journals include useful historic information about incidents and outbreaks:

• CDR (Communicable Disease Report) Weekly – published until early 2007, being the precursor of HPR.
• Communicable Disease & Public Health (CDPH) – published until December 2004.

PHE also publishes Standards for Microbiology Investigations including:

• Identification of Listeria species and other non-sporing gram positive rods except corynebacterium
• Identification of VTEC including E coli
• Identification of Bacillus species