The government has been accused of “trying to pass the buck” after reports emerged of plans to scrap Public Health England (PHE).
Experts have also raised concerns over timing and the potential knock-on effect that a “major restructuring” would have on coronavirus containment efforts.
PHE’s pandemic response work will be merged with NHS Test and Trace, and the body will be replaced by a new organisation set up specifically to deal with a pandemic, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
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Responding to the reports, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran called for “full transparency” so any plans can be “properly scrutinised”.
Ms Moran, who is chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, added: “These reports suggest that yet again the government is attempting to pass the buck for its own failings.”
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, will reportedly announce the changes this week, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
The newspaper said the replacement body will be called the Institute for Health Protection and will become “effective” next month, although it will take until next spring to complete.
Dr Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: “The reports in the media that the UK government is likely to announce the reorganisation of Public Health England are perhaps no great surprise.
“What is a surprise is that this is happening in the middle of the greatest public health challenge to the UK since the Second World War.”
Dr Amitava Banerjee, associate professor in clinical data science and honorary consultant cardiologist at UCL’s Institute of Health Informatics, raised concerns over how the move would impact efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
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“A major restructuring of public health function, as the global Covid-19 emergency continues, will distract limited resources – both human and financial – away from the simple public-health measures of testing and tracing,” he said.
Dr Banerjee also said it was unclear what would happen to ”the wide range of PHE programmes outside of pandemic preparedness”, such as for cardiovascular diseases and mental health.
“We risk damaging public health, not just in relation to Covid-19 but far beyond,” he said.
Professor Neena Modi from Imperial College London also questioned where responsibility would lie for public health matters outside infectious diseases, and how initiatives for them would be delivered.
“This is particularly important given that the UK has a shockingly high prevalence of obesity, a postcode lottery for reproductive health services, and poor air quality in urban areas,” the professor of neonatal medicine said.
The reported move to scrap PHE follows repeated reports over recent months that ministers have been unhappy and frustrated with the body’s response to the coronavirus crisis.
Reports have suggested that Baroness Dido Harding, the Conservative peer and former TalkTalk telecoms boss who currently runs NHS Test and Trace, is being tipped to head the replacement organisation.
Dr Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said this would make “about as much sense as Chris Whitty being appointed the Vodafone head of branding and corporate image”.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Public Health England have played an integral role in our national response to this unprecedented global pandemic.
“We have always been clear that we must learn the right lessons from this crisis to ensure that we are in the strongest possible position, both as we continue to deal with Covid-19 and to respond to any future public health threat.”
Additional reporting by Press Association
