Coronavirus: Unions demand Public Health England replacement has independence from ministers

Unions representing staff at Public Health England have demanded health secretary Matt Hancock ensures its planned replacement body will be independent of ministerial interference.

Eleven unions and professional bodies have written to the health secretary criticising a lack of consultation over the government’s plan to scrap PHE and replace it with a new National Institute for Health Protection.

The unions have also asked the health secretary to give a commitment that jobs will be protected with no compulsory redundancies and protection for staff to move from PHE to the NIHP without affecting their employment rights.

The government wants to scrap PHE, which it has direct control over, and replace it with a body that will be focused on tackling the risks of Covid-19.

But ministers have yet to set out their plans for the wider public health work carried out by PHE which goes beyond responding to infectious diseases.

In the letter, unions including the Royal College of Nursing, the British Medical Association and Unison, said: “We seek a binding commitment to the independence of the National Institute for Health Protection and public health professionals and their vital ability to speak truth to power and to the public at a national, regional and local level.”

The bodies said they were “alarmed” by the plans that had been announced “without properly consulting expert staff and without a clear plan for the future of large swathes of PHE.”

It added: “We urge you to ensure that we have an adequately resourced national public health system (including laboratories) with sufficient capacity, resilience and access to data, research and analysis over the long‐term to address all domains of public health effectively.

Susan Masters, the RCN’s director of nursing said: “It is vital that the government engages appropriately and plans effectively to ensure staff are supported and empowered, now and in the future. There needs to be investment in people and infrastructure, as well as the independence needed for NIHP to excel in its role, which will save lives and protect the public.

“There must be clarity about the future of PHE’s leadership role in the nursing profession, and where this will sit. Nurses work within a range of functions within PHE, doing vitally important work that must continue effectively.

“The government needs to address the issues we are raising comprehensively and urgently, and in a way that reassures both the staff directly affected, and all of us in the country, since we rely on their invaluable work.”

Mark Serwotka, general secretary at the PCS union added: “The decision to abolish PHE and set up the National Institute for Health Protection without consulting unions and considering the staff is another reckless move by a dangerously incompetent government.

“In the midst of a global pandemic, it is vital the government commits to a properly resourced health system that is publicly owned and run for the public benefit."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care did not address the unions’ concerns directly but said the plans would bring together the expertise at Public Health England, the newly created Joint Biosecurity Centre and NHS Test and Trace.

They said: “We will be consulting with staff and engaging with an external stakeholder advisory group on where Public Health England’s health improvement functions would be best placed in order to continue supporting the UK’s public health system and helping people live longer, healthier and happier lives.”