The Institute for Health Protection and its role in tackling COVID-19

The Government has created the National Institute for Health Protection, which combines the roles of Public Health England (PHE) and NHS Test and Trace, in addition to harnessing the analytical capability of the new Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC). The first priority of this single organisation will be to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and protect the nation's health. This pending new governmental organisation's primary focus will be public health protection and rationalising the capability of the country to combat infectious diseases now and in the future.

Although the new body exists to minimise disruption to the vital work of dealing with the second wave of COVID-19, the organisation will be formalised and fully operating from spring 2021. In learning the lessons from the past 9 months since the initial outbreak of COVID-19, the institute aspires to focus on a rigorous science-led approach to public health protection with a goal of boosting the country's resilience in dealing with, and recovering from, the pandemic, in addition to meeting the health challenges of the coming winter.