Health Protection Agency publishes its annual report & accounts for 2009

7 August 2009

The report highlights HPA's involvement in a widening range of activities, by laying out the key aims of its main health protection priorities and providing detailed updates on achievements in these areas. The report also contains important information on the governance of the agency, including a report on the remuneration of non-executive board members and executive group members; and a detailed breakdown of the Agency's accounts for 2008/09.

Dr David Heymann, who succeeded Sir William Stewart as Chairman of the HPA in April 2009, said: "It gives me great pleasure to introduce the HPA's sixth annual report and accounts. The achievements of the HPA as demonstrated by this report would not have happened without the efforts of all HPA staff.

"I know from my initial discussions with many HPA staff that the aspiration is to do more. The HPA wants to drive standards higher for the whole of public health, lead the way in health protection and grow its reputation as a globally recognised expert organisation."

Justin McCracken, Chief Executive of the HPA, added: "The report shows that this has been another eventful year for the HPA, with staff in our major centres and across the country responding to a wide range of incidents.

"The value of our ongoing hard work has been demonstrated by our rapid, co-ordinated and thorough response to the swine flu outbreak that began in late April 2009. Our handling of the outbreak demonstrates the strengths of a unified HPA, on international, national and local levels. It also demonstrates how effectively we work in partnership with NHS organisations and other stakeholders - both in emergency situations and through ongoing activities to prevent harm and protect the public".

Ends

Notes to editors
The full report can be found on the HPA website at http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebPublication/Page/1245195982004?p=1245195982004

For media enquiries only please contact the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections press office on: 
020 8327 6647                       
020 8327 7098                                   
020 8327 7080                                   
020 8327 7097
020 8327 6690

Last reviewed: 7 August 2009