Health Protection Agency Regional, South West - Gloucester
Contact details
Dr. Isabel OliverHealth Protection Agency South West
The Wheelhouse, Bonds Mill
Stonehouse, Stroud, GL10 3RF, United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0)1453 829740
Fax +44 (0)1453 829741
Regional Overview
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) in the South West provides advice and support in the control of communicable diseases and environmental hazards to the national health service and other practice organizations in the South West of England. This covers a population of over 5 million people, the largest English geographic region.Our regional office is located in the outskirts of a small town with railway links to London (1hour 40 minutes) and other major towns. The city of Bristol, the largest in the South West region is approximately 30 minutes away.
Services in the regional office include regional epidemiology, health emergency planning, environmental health and administrative staff. Each regional team helps the Regional Director of Public Health manage the response to major incidents, and coordinates the activities of three Health Protection Units (HPUs), each of which has consituent local Health Protection Teams: Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire; Dorset and Somerset; the South West Peninsula (Devon and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly). The local team serving the population of Gloucestershire is co-located with the regional office.
The regional Epidemiology Unit in the South West is responsible for the routine and enhanced surveillance of communicable diseases in the region, as providing advice and assistance to the units in incident and outbreak investigation and control.
The regional epidemiology unit is accountable to the regional director and comprises two Regional Consultant Epidemiologists; a senior health protection nurse; a public health specialist, and an information team with an information manager, five epidemiology and information analysts, one a joint post with the South West Public Health Observatory (www.swpho.nhs.uk) and two IT staff. Other members of staff include a Regional Business Manager, Regional Communications Manager and associated support staff. The office also provides regular training placements for UK trainees in Public Health. These are an important contribution to the extensive work carried out in the Region.
The Unit's five main functions are:
- Surveillance of communicable disease. Regional data
is collected via routine reporting and special epidemiological
surveys. Following the analysis of these data, reports are
generated and disseminated to those professionals for use
in maintaining and providing preventative measures. HPA (SW)
manages a range of regional reporting systems for communicable
disease, including laboratory reporting, clinical reporting
and statutory notification systems and environmental monitoring.
Some of our reports are available at:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/southwest/publications.htm
- Investigation and control of communicable disease. HPA (SW)
staff provide support and advice to public health physicians and
others in the control of communicable disease. When a disease episode
is of national importance or an outbreak is geographically widespread,
HPA (SW) staff work closely with their locally based public health
physician colleagues, hospital laboratories, NHS authorities and local
authorities during the epidemiological investigation.
- Emergency planning and environmental health. This unit in HPA (SW)
provides advice and support to local authorities on decontamination and
evacuation, toxicological and epidemiological advice on likely health
effects, the appropriateness of industrial operational conditions,
clinical advice on antidotes and medical treatment, and personal
protective equipment.
- Epidemiological research. HPA (SW) undertakes research projects
in association with academic departments or research institutes. It
includes descriptive studies and analytical studies such as case-control
studies or cohort studies. HPA SW has recognised national expertise
in the fields of sexual health and hospital acquired infection.
- Teaching and training in communicable disease epidemiology. Senior
HPA (SW) staff take part in courses and seminars for public health
workers and others concerned with health protection. A number of
specialist registrars in public health medicine and microbiology have
been placed on attachment at HPA (SW) to enable them to gain field
experience of communicable disease control and health protection
issues.
Training opportunities
EPIET fellows will have opportunities to participate in all main activities carried out by HPA (SW). Based on the fellow's previous experience and interest, appropriate assignments can be arranged. Placements can also be arranged with a local Health Protection Unit where the trainee can gain experience with the first line of response to local health protection problems. The unit has close links with the University of Bristol and the fellow will have access to a series of relevant short courses. The fellow will also have access to other training opportunities from the South West Public Health training scheme.Training supervision
A suitable trainer for the EPIET fellow will be identified for the period of his/her training. For specific tasks and assignments, the appropriate consultant for the particular project will supervise the fellow.Language requirements
English.Training history
Number of EPIET fellows trained at institute: 2 (2004, 2005, 2007)Available as a training site for cohort 14: Yes