Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Not Addressed
UK Health Security Agency established in 2021, consolidating key public health protection functions.
Conclusion
On 18 August 2020, the Department announced a reorganisation of public health in England. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was subsequently established as an Executive Agency of the Department on 1 April 2021 with its Chair and Chief Executive appointed on the same day. It became fully operational on 1 October 2021, when it became responsible for the health protection functions of the former Public Health England (‘PHE’) and became responsible for NHS Test and Trace and the Joint Biosecurity Centre, both of which had previously been divisions of the Department.25 Establishment of UKHSA
Government Response Summary
The government's response outlines UKHSA's governance improvements, but this conclusion was a factual observation about the agency's establishment, not a recommendation requiring action.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 On 1 April 2021, the government announced the establishment of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as this country’s permanent standing capacity to prepare for, prevent and respond to threats to health. From 1 October 2021, the department and the newly formed UKHSA prioritised significant efforts on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The operational focus in winter 2021-22 was the response to the Omicron variant and then the implementation of the Living with Covid Strategy from February 2022. 3.3 As a new organisation, the Chair and CEO of UKHSA were centred on the need for effective governance from UKHSA’s inception. Once the non-executive member recruitment which started in spring 2021 was completed in April 2022, UKHSA swiftly moved to establishing a fully functioning suite of corporate governance, including the advisory board, and holding four distinct committee meetings by September 2022. The Audit and Risk Committee appointed in April 2023 a non-executive as Chair who is a qualified accountant, with the department chairing the appointing panel and facilitating the approvals process. 3.4 The Chair and CEO engaged the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) to assist in a review of the corporate governance, which was completed in May 2022. This helped identify detailed actions to improve the governance framework from the advisory board through the executive line. These were completed by March 2023, which a follow-up GIAA audit confirmed. The department contributed to GIAA’s review and met regularly with UKHSA to support progress and commissioned a GIAA review of sponsorship to better support and oversee UKHSA. UKHSA and the department continue to work closely to further strengthen governance arrangements.