Local Services

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

Please click on your region

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 
  • laboratory services
  • 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 exact makeup and duties of each team varies 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.

Regional Offices

LaRS has nine regional offices covering the whole of England. Their areas correspond to the Government Offices of the Regions. Each office has a director, a regional management team, and teams specialising in epidemiology, microbiology, emergency planning, or chemical hazards and poisons.

The regional teams help local Regional Directors of Public Health manage the response to major incidents. They also coordinate the activities of the local Health Protection Units (HPUs) in their area.

Local Units

There are 28 HPUs throughout the regions. 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 primary care trusts (PCTs), acute hospital trusts, and local authorities in their area to deliver local health protection.

The contact details of the local HPUs can be accessed through the Health Protection Unit directory or via the regional pages above.

Food, Water and Environmental Microbiology Laboratories (FW&E)

Each region has at least one laboratory located in their area. They provide food, dairy, water, and environmental testing services to local authorities and the Food Standards Agency. More information is available on the Microbiology Labs webpages.

Last reviewed: 11 April 2008