1. Health Protection Service Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland
Dr. Lorraine Doherty
Assistant Director of Public Health (Health Protection)

2. 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

4. 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

5. Health Protection in Northern Ireland
Pre 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)

6. 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

7. 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.
The Health Protection Service has a lead, front line role in protecting the population of Northern Ireland from infectious and environmental hazards through a range of core functions including: surveillance and monitoring, operational support and advice, response to adverse health protection incidents, education and training, and research. The service makes a direct contribution to public health, scientific knowledge and emergency planning operational decisions and response at regional, national and international level. In addition the Health Protection Service supports the work of DHSSPS in Health Protection through advice on strategic direction and informing health protection policy.

8. Assistant Director of Public Health (Health Protection)
Dr. Lorraine Doherty
Consultants in Health Protection (8.2)
Consultant Lead, Health Protection
Surveillance
Consultant Nurse: Health Protection
SpRs, FY2 Doctors, EPIET Fellows, Doctors in training
Senior ICN
(1)
Health Protection Nurses
(5.8)
Infection Control Nurses
2.5
Emergency Planners (2)
Health Protection Officer (1)
HP Surveillance Staff

9. 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

10. Acute Response / Duty Room
Consultant Nurse
Officer (Duty Room)
Health Protection
Administrator
Duty Room
Duty Consultant
Nurse

11. Health Protection- Acute Response Service
First point of call in hours:
PHA Duty Room
Tel –
Deal with all incidents, immunisation issues, outbreaks, meningo cases, chemical incidents etc.
HP Zone installed
Out of hours - rota, accessed via NIAS control

12. Regional Duty Room Deals with all Health Protection queries, incidents
Incident response
HP Zone -installed & fully functional
SOPS in place
Community Associated C difficile cases surveillance established.

13. Health Protection Service Surveillance Team
Consultant Lead for Health Protection Surveillance
Epidemiological Scientist Band 7
Respiratory Infections / Zoonoses / Gastro
Information Manager Band 7
Immunisation / VPs / STIs / BBVs / IT
Epidemiological Scientist
Band 7
HCAI / AMR
Information Manager
SSI
Flu Surveillance Information Officer
Band 5
Surveillance Information Officer
Surveillance Information Assistant
Band 4
Band 6
AMR / HIV / STIs
Epidemiological Scientist Band 6
PVL / MRSA / CJD / CDiff
Regional Surveillance
Co-Ordinator
Band 6 SSI
Band 3

14. Surveillance Surveillance Forum
AD Health Protection Dr Doherty (Interim Chair)
Band 7 Surveillance Staff
Health Protection Team Leads
Surveillance Lead

15. Blood Borne Viruses and STIs
Consultant in Health
Protection (Team Lead)
Consultant in
Health Protection
Health Protection Nurse
Information Officer
Information Manager
Surveillance Support

16. Emergency Planning, Environmental Hazards, Environmental Health
Consultant in Health Protection
(Team Lead)
Emergency
Planning Officer
Consultant in Health
Protection (Emergency Preparedness)

17. Gastrointestinal, Waterborne, Zoonoses
Consultant in
Health Protection
(Team Lead)
Zoonoses
GI Disease
Waterborne
Disease and IHR
Disease
Consultant In
Port Health
Information Officer
Surveillance Support

18. HCAI, AMR, Infection Control Team
Consultant in Health
Protection (Team Lead)
Senior Infection
Control Nurse
Infection Control Nurse
Microbiology Consultant
2 Sessions
4 Sessions
Information Manager
Epidemiological Scientist
Information Officer
Surveillance Support

19. Immunisation Team Surveillance Support Consultant Nurse
Consultant in
Health Protection
(Team Lead)
Consultant
Nurse
Surveillance Support
Information Officer

20. Respiratory Infections Team
Consultant in Health
Protection (Team Lead)
Epidemiological
Scientist
Surveillance
Officer
Protection TB
Protection Flu

21. Health Protection Nursing
Consultant
Nurse
Senior
Infection
Control Nurse
Control
Health
Protection

22. Training, Standards and Professional Development Team
Consultant in Health Protection
(Team Lead)
Health Protection
Nurse
FY2 Doctor Training Lead
SpR Training Lead
CPD Lead
Emergency Planning
Audit & R&D

23. Health Protection Improvement and Inequalities Team
Dr Lorraine Doherty
(Team Lead)
HCAI Lead
TB and Migrant
Health Lead
Immunisation Lead
Consultant Nurse
HIV/STI Lead
Port Health Lead

24. 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

25. 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

26. Strategy and Planning DHSSPS Policy and Ministerial Targets
PHA Corporate Strategy
Public Health Directorate Plan
Health Protection Service Business Plan

27. Excerpts from Health Protection Service Business Plan
2010/11

28. 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.

29. 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

30. 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.

31. 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

33. Transmit Primarily for HSC and Environmental Health professionals
Monthly Bulletin Health Protection Service
Primarily for HSC and Environmental Health professionals
Objectives:
To highlight local health protection issues
To describe NI epidemiology trends and compare with GB/ROI
Opportunity for non consultant staff to publish reports/studies

34. Summary
Northern Ireland one unified Regional Health Protection Service
Integrates Surveillance functions and Operational Health Protection elements = a strength