PHE has had the task of providing data on coronavirus cases and deaths associated with the virusPublic Health England (PHE) will be axed and replaced with a new body next month amid concerns about its performance during the pandemic and fears of a rise in infections this autumn. A new institute will for the first time give the government direct control over England’s response to the pandemic, with its chief executive reporting to ministers and Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England. PHE, an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, employs about 5,500 people — mostly scientists and researchers — and has operational autonomy. Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is expected to announce that PHE’s pandemic response work will be merged with the NHS test-and-trace system into a new body called the National Institute for Health

Source: The Times August 15, 2020 23:26 UTC