|
| Register for our Free Newsletters |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other Carouselweb publications |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Health Protection Agency restructures network of environmental health labs
|
|
Health Protection Agency
: 03 April, 2009 (Company News) |
|
|
The Health Protection Agency's newly restructured network of regional food, water and environmental laboratories is now operational. |
|
|
The Food, Water and Environmental (FW and E) Microbiology Network plays an important role in protecting the public from any threats to health through food, water and the environment - for example Salmonella, Listeria, E coli and Legionnaires' disease.
The aim of the new arrangements has been to create a network of 12 enlarged laboratories at strategic locations across England, bringing together a critical mass of expertise, and replacing the previous structure of 26 smaller laboratories. All of the laboratories are fully-accredited, ten of which will be managed by the HPA, while the laboratories based in Stoke-on-Trent and Leicester will remain under the management of local health trusts.
The networks' new structure has been designed in close consultation with stakeholders including environmental health departments, port health authorities, LACORS and the Food Standards Agency to ensure that their needs are fully met. The changes will help ensure improved future provision of FW and E services and enable the Agency to achieve greater capacity and resilience in responding to health threats from food, water and the environment.
Jim McLauchlin, director of the FW and E Network, said: 'The structure will result in a better co-ordinated, more robust network which will allow us to become more responsive to new and potential challenges such as the 2012 Olympics and outbreaks of infections such as norovirus.'
'In addition, the changes will deliver an improved service to staff, stakeholders and service users. This includes the rolling out of a new IT infrastructure and introduction of more rapid pathogen detection over the next few years and a single, co-ordinated transport system for sample collection and delivery with more collection points at convenient locations.' |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
