Health Protection Service

Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland

Dr. Lorraine DohertyAssistant Director of Public Health (Health

Protection)Lorraine.doherty@hscni.net

Public Health Agency Established 1 April 2009 Chief Executive, 3 executive Directors – Public

Health, Nursing & Allied Professions, Operations Director of Public Health - 4 Assistant Directors - Health Protection- R&D- Service Development and Screening- Health & Social Well Being Improvement

Health Protection“Public health activities intended to protect

individuals, groups, and populations from infectious diseases, environmental hazards such as chemical contamination, and from radiation”

Includes emergency planning and response

Health Protection in Northern IrelandPre 1st April 2009 DHSSPS responsible for health protection policy 4 Health and Social Services Boards DPH in each board with responsibility for health

protection activities Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC)

led on communicable disease control External expert advice sought when required, e.g. from

HPA, ChaPD Assisted by Specialist Registrars, Health Protection

Nurses and Emergency Planning Officers 2 surveillance centres – CDSCNI (infectious diseases)

and HISC (SSIs)

From 1 April 2009 DHSSPS responsible for health protection policy Regional Public Health Agency with 1 DPH Assistant DPH leads Regional Health Protection

Service Includes staff from previous Health and Social

Services Boards, CDSCNI and HISC – CCDCs, Specialist Registrars, Health Protection Nurses, Infection Control Nurses, Regional Epidemiologists, Surveillance Staff and Emergency Planning Officers

MOU with HPA in place

Health Protection Service• Front line role in protecting the NI population

from infectious diseases and environmental hazards by:

- Surveillance and monitoring of diseases. - Operational support and advice to a range of

health professionals/other stakeholders. - Response to adverse health Protection

incidents – outbreaks etc. - Education, Training, Research.

Assistant Director of Public Health (Health Protection)

Dr. Lorraine Doherty

Consultants in Health Protection (8.2) Consultant Nurse: Health Protection

Consultant Lead, Health Protection

Surveillance

Senior ICN(1)

Health Protection Nurses

(5.8)

Emergency Planners (2)

Infection Control Nurses2.5

HP Surveillance Staff

Health Protection Officer (1)

SpRs, FY2

Doctors, EPIET

Fellows, Doctors

in training

Health Protection Teams & Leads Acute Response/Duty Room Blood Borne Viruses/STIs Emergency Planning, Environmental Hazards,

Environmental Health Gastrointestinal, Waterborne, Zoonoses HCAI, AMR, Infection Control Immunisation Respiratory Infections Training, Standards and Development Health Protection Improvement and Inequalities Health Protection Surveillance

Acute Response / Duty Room

Consultant NurseHealth Protection

Officer (Duty Room)

Duty Room Administrator

Duty RoomAdministrator

Duty ConsultantHealth Protection

NurseHealth Protection

Nurse

Health Protection- Acute Response Service

First point of call in hours:PHA Duty RoomTel. 02890 553 994Email – pha.dutyroom@hscni.netDeal with all incidents, immunisation issues,

outbreaks, meningo cases, chemical incidents etc.

HP Zone installedOut of hours - rota, accessed via NIAS control

Regional Duty Room oDeals with all Health Protection queries, incidentsoIncident responseoHP Zone -installed & fully functionaloSOPS in place oCommunity Associated C difficile cases surveillance established.

Consultant Lead for Health Protection

Surveillance

Epidemiological Scientist Band 7

Respiratory Infections /

Zoonoses / Gastro

Information Manager Band 7Immunisation /

VPs / STIs / BBVs / IT

Epidemiological ScientistBand 7

HCAI / AMR

Information ManagerBand 7

SSI

Flu Surveillance Information Officer

Band 5

Surveillance Information Officer

Band 5

Surveillance Information AssistantBand 4

Surveillance Information Officer

Band 5

Surveillance Information Officer

Band 5

Epidemiological ScientistBand 6

AMR / HIV / STIs

Epidemiological Scientist Band 6

PVL / MRSA / CJD / CDiff

Regional Surveillance Co-OrdinatorBand 6 SSI

Surveillance Information Officer

Band 5

Surveillance Information AssistantBand 3

Surveillance Information Officer

Band 6

Epidemiological ScientistBand 6

Surveillance Information Officer

Band 5

Surveillance Information Assistant

Band 4

Health Protection ServiceSurveillance Team

Surveillance Forum

AD Health Protection Dr

Doherty (Interim Chair)

Band 7 Surveillance

Staff

Health Protection Team

Leads

Surveillance Lead

Surveillance

Blood Borne Viruses and STIs

Consultant in Health Protection (Team Lead)

Consultant in Health Protection

Health Protection Nurse

Information OfficerInformation Manager

Surveillance Support

Emergency Planning, Environmental

Hazards, Environmental HealthConsultant in Health Protection

(Team Lead)

EmergencyPlanning Officer

EmergencyPlanning Officer

Consultant in Health Protection (Emergency Preparedness)

Gastrointestinal, Waterborne, Zoonoses

Consultant inHealth Protection

(Team Lead)

Consultant in Health Protection

Zoonoses

Consultant inHealth Protection

GI Disease

Consultant inHealth Protection

WaterborneDisease and IHR

Consultant inHealth Protection

Waterborne Disease

Consultant InHealth Protection

Port Health

Information Officer

Surveillance Support

HCAI, AMR, Infection Control TeamConsultant in Health

Protection (Team Lead)

Senior Infection Control Nurse

Infection Control Nurse

Infection Control Nurse

Infection Control Nurse

Microbiology Consultant2 Sessions

Microbiology Consultant4 Sessions

Information Manager

Epidemiological Scientist

Information Officer

Information Officer

Surveillance Support

Immunisation TeamConsultant in

Health Protection(Team Lead)

Consultant inHealth Protection

Consultant inHealth Protection

ConsultantNurse

Health ProtectionNurse

Health ProtectionNurse

Surveillance Support

Information Officer

Respiratory Infections TeamConsultant in Health

Protection (Team Lead)

EpidemiologicalScientist

SurveillanceOfficer

Consultant in Health Protection TB

Consultant in Health Protection Flu

Health Protection NursingConsultant

Nurse

Senior Infection

Control Nurse

InfectionControlNurse

InfectionControlNurse

InfectionControlNurse

HealthProtection

Nurse

HealthProtection

Nurse

HealthProtection

Nurse

HealthProtection

Nurse

HealthProtection

Nurse

HealthProtection

Nurse

Training, Standards and Professional

Development TeamConsultant in Health Protection

(Team Lead)

Health ProtectionNurse

FY2 Doctor Training Lead

SpR Training Lead

CPD Lead

Emergency Planning

Audit & R&D

Health Protection Improvement and Inequalities Team

Dr Lorraine Doherty(Team Lead)

HCAI LeadTB and Migrant

Health LeadImmunisation Lead

Consultant Nurse HIV/STI Lead Port Health Lead

Our Stakeholders Public Health Agency Directorates, AMT etc DHSSPS – CMO’s Office, Primary Care,

Minister Trust staff, Primary care Close links with COE, QUB Links to HPA (England), HPS (Scotland), PH W (Wales), HSE (Ireland), ECDC, CDC

(USA). MOU with HPA for specialist support

Regional Health Protection Forum Advisory to Health Protection Service. Representation from across Health and

Social Care System. Informs Business Plan and response plans. Forum for discussion Health Protection

Challenges

Strategy and Planning

DHSSPS Policy and Ministerial Targets

PHA Corporate Strategy

Public Health Directorate Plan

Health Protection Service Business Plan

Excerpts from Health Protection Service Business Plan

2010/11

Work Programme 2010/11 Health Protection Duty Room Operational – SOPs,

NOIDs, trained staff, HP Zone. Identify and respond to all health protection

incidents. Ensure Surveillance of communicable diseases. Contribute to Review of PHA response to

Pandemic Influenza, update and test plans.

Immunisation Lead Implementation of DHSSPS policy on Immunity

Testing and MMR Immunisation for health care workers in Trusts.

Increase HPV immunisation uptake rates Improve MMR uptake in hard to reach groups Respond to measles cases Achieve target for seasonal flu vaccine uptake rates Influenza Immunisation for Pregnant Women

HCAI Implement recommendations in DHSSPS

HCAI Strategy - ‘Changing the Culture II’ for which PHA accountable.

Lead Joint HSCB / PHA HCAI team and deliver on work plan.

Provide HCAI improvement support to Trusts during 2010/11.

Develop a HCAI action plan for Primary Care/Community.

Emergency Planning, Env Hazards and Env Health Ensure a joint PHA/HSCB/BSO emergency

response plan is in place and tested. Standard Operating Procedures for the duty

room and HP Zone; ensure implementation and usage of HP Zone by trained staff.

Identify and respond to all emergency hazard notifications /incidents.

Develop training programme for key staff

TransmitMonthly Bulletin Health Protection ServicePrimarily for HSC and Environmental Health professionalsObjectives:oTo highlight local health protection issuesoTo describe NI epidemiology trends and compare with GB/ROIoOpportunity for non consultant staff to publish reports/studies

Summary• Northern Ireland one unified Regional Health

Protection Service• Integrates Surveillance functions and

Operational Health Protection elements = a strength

• http://www.publichealth.hscni.net/directorate-public-health/health-protection