Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), Dublin, Ireland

Contact details

Description of the institute

The functions of HPSC

•         Surveillance of Communicable diseases
• Since July 2000 HPSC has been statutorily responsible for the collation, analysis and dissemination of notifiable disease data in Ireland. A weekly report is produced and sent to key partners and published on the HPSC web site. Reports are also published in HPSC's monthly bulletin Epi-insight.
• Several enhanced surveillance systems are co-ordinated by HPSC including Tuberculosis, VTEC, Syphilis, meningococcal disease, H. Influenzae, Measles, Malaria etc.
• Antenatal monitoring of HIV and AIDS reporting is co-ordinated by HPSC. A HIV case based reporting system has been established in collaboration with the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL) and the Health Boards. The centre collates the data and publishes a twice yearly report on the system.
• Data from a sentinel GP surveillance scheme in conjunction with virological testing is analysed and reported from HPSC on a weekly basis in the Influenza Surveillance system. This project is a collaboration between the Irish College of General Practitioners, the NVRL and HPSC.  
• Data from the National Meningococcal and Salmonella Reference Laboratories are analysed and reported by HPSC
• HPSC is leading a major project to roll-out nationally a computerised infectious disease reporting (CIDR) between laboratories, public health departments and HPSC and other key stakeholders such as the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Food Safety Promotion Board
• Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is undertaken by HPSC and the data contributed to the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS).
• HPSC is the National Institute on the European Network Committee of the EU and contributes data to the various EU and WHO networks (EuroTB, Enternet, Meningococcal disease, EARSS, EUVAC, EU IBIS, CISID etc.)
  
  
•         Surveillance of immunisation and vaccine programmes
• HPSC monitors vaccine uptake and vaccine efficacy, particularly in the routine schedule of immunisation of children.
  
  
•         Investigation and control of communicable disease
• Responsibility for control of communicable diseases rests with the country’s 8 Directors of Public Health (Medical Officer of Health). HPSC provides expert assistance as required in the investigation and management of outbreaks or incidents of communicable disease.
  
  
•         Epidemiological research
• HPSC conducts research into communicable disease to provide the evidence for policy changes (e.g. Seroepidemiology of vaccine preventable diseases)
  
  
•         Teaching and Training
• HPSC is committed to training and professional development. All staff are encouraged to participate in training activities which are available within HPSC or externally
• HPSC is recognised as a site for training Public Health Specialists by the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.
• The Director and Specialists lecture/teach in University College Dublin and other Colleges on the epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and immunisation. One of the specialists has a part time appointment as a lecturer in Epidemiology in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
  
  
•         Media Reporting on Communicable diseases
• HPSC staff respond to media requests on national communicable disease issues (television, radio and print media)
   
•         Other
• Provision of advice to the Department of Health and Children, Royal College of Physicians, Health Boards, Food Safety Authority, Food Safety Promotion Board and Other external agencies.
• HPSC staff participate on many external agency working groups and are required to provide evidence–based guidance.
• The Scientific Advisory Committee of HPSC is a multidisciplinary committee and develops guidelines on communicable disease control.
   

Training opportunities

EPIET trainees can be involved in all activities of HPSC. EPIET fellows participate in routine work within the HPSC including taking calls and responding to queries from the public and health professionals, outbreak investigation, research and writing for national and scientific journals.

Most of the work of the EPIET fellow will be in Dublin where HPSC is based in Dublin. However, the EPIET fellow is also able to obtain experience in sites outside of Dublin during outbreak investigations and research projects.

Previous projects in which EPIET fellows have been involved in include the following: national telephone survey to determine vaccination uptake in adult population; campylobacter case-control study; outbreak investigations; national survey to determine uptake of Hib vaccine during booster programme etc.

EPIET fellows are encouraged and given opportunities to teach at Irish and external academic institutes during their training.

Participation in short-term overseas assignments is encouraged

EPIET fellows have numerous opportunities to present their research and investigations at national and international conferences.

EPIET fellows are provided with opportunities to avail of additional training opportunities within HPSC or Ireland

HPSC has weekly scientific meetings, monthly journal club meetings, a quarterly training forum (bringing together EPIET fellow and Irish trainees in public health medicine based in HPSC with HPSC senior staff).

The EPIET fellow can participate in scientific meetings organised by external clinical and laboratory societies

Training supervision

Language requirements

Training history