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Local and Regional Services

Clickable map for HPA regions

North East Region North West Region South West Region South East Region London Region Yorkshire and Humber Region West Midlands Region East Midlands Region East of England Region

 

Our role

The Local and Regional Services (LaRS) division is at the frontline of the agency's activities. We provide specialist support to prevent and reduce the impact of infectious diseases, chemical and radiation hazards, and major emergencies.

Our teams  are involved in a range of activities, including: 

  • local disease surveillance 
  • alert systems
  • investigation and management of health protection incidents and outbreaks
  • delivery and monitoring of national action plans for infectious diseases at local level.

The incidents we deal with vary depending on the local population and the environmental risks to their health. Some regions have nuclear plants, major chemical industries, or an increased risk of terrorism. Others may have significant infectious disease problems, such as tuberculosis or HIV infection, and low rates of childhood immunisation.

Read more about the role of health protection units  

How we do it

There are 26 health protection units (HPUs)and nine regional offices located across England. Each HPU is responsible for an area roughly corresponding to a county or police boundary. They are staffed by consultants, nurses, and other specialists who work directly with the NHS and civil authorities to deliver health protection at a local level.

Browse the full list of units in the Health Protection Unit directory.

The regional offices help local Regional Directors of Public Health manage major incidents. They also coordinate the activities of the local health protection units in their area. Each office has a director, a regional management team, and specialists in epidemiology, microbiology, emergency planning, or chemical hazards and poisons.

Each region is also supported by a network of laboratories to help diagnose health problems. More information is available on the Regional Microbiology Network pages.

Read the Forward Thinking, Future Working: Framework specification for local and regional service provision 2008 -2010 (PDF, 123 KB) which explains local service delivery in greater detail.

Last reviewed: 3 November 2009