Focus on preventing a second wave of virus

REGARDING Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock’s speech that Public Health England (PHE) is to be replaced with the National Institute for Health Protection.

PHE staff have been working closely alongside their council counterparts day and night since this outbreak first emerged, to contain and prevent the spread of this devastating virus and they deserve all our thanks.

This pandemic has highlighted the value of local knowledge, supported by national coordination and resources. A local response should be at the forefront of our approach to the next phase.

Directors of Public Health in councils can boost both their health protection and prevention roles, working alongside other council services including environmental health, but this needs to be joinedup with the new system.

Councils have a proven track record in improving public health services over the past eight years. National policy making has an important role to play, but this cannot be a substitute for local leadership and local responsibility. We need to establish where the core health improvement functions of any future public health system are best held, backed up by necessary funding.

We will need to reflect on how we as a country responded to coronavirus, but for now our focus needs to firmly remain on how best to prevent and manage a possible second wave later this year, as well as on future disease outbreaks.