Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens

The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens' (ACDP) role is to provide scientific advice on the risks of exposure to various pathogens.

Role of group

ACDP is an expert committee of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Its work cuts across a number of organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Membership

  • Professor Thomas Evans (University of Glasgow), Chair
  • Professor Michael Barer (University of Leicester)
  • Dr Laura Nabarro (UCL)
  • Professor Neil Ferguson (Imperial College London)
  • Professor Richard Holliman, Consultant Clinical Microbiologist ‒ retired
  • Professor Simon Mead (UCL Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
  • Air Commodore Christopher Melville OBE (Ministry of Defence), lay member
  • Professor Dilys Morgan ‒ Independent Public Health Member
  • Dr Gee Yen Shin (UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
  • Dr Robert Shorten (Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
  • Dr Jake Dunning (Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust)
  • Professor Dan Tucker (University of Cambridge)
  • Dr Lance Turtle (University of Liverpool)
  • Dr Kate Smith (Public Health Scotland)
  • Dr Mike Beadsworth (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine)

Terms of reference

To provide as requested independent scientific advice to HSE, and to ministers through DHSC, Defra, and their counterparts under devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, on all aspects of hazards and risks to workers and others from exposure to pathogens.

In addition, to provide as requested independent scientific risk assessment advice on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) to ministers through DHSC, Defra, and their counterparts under devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to the Food Standards Agency.

Members’ interests

ACDP register of member interests (updated September 2023) (PDF, 61.3 KB, 2 pages)

Minutes

See minutes, papers and agendas.

Papers and agendas for meetings prior to June 2013 can be found on the HSE website.

News and publications

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy subgroup, 2013 to 2019

ACDP’s TSE subgroup (formed in 2013 by a merger of the TSE Risk Assessment and the TSE Risk Management subgroups) provides practical, scientifically based advice on the management of risks from TSEs, in order to limit or reduce the risks of human exposure to, or transmission of, TSEs in healthcare and other occupational settings.

The TSE subgroup was disbanded in 2019, and all work was brought back into the main ACDP committee as a permanent agenda item.

TSE subgroup terms of reference

The TSE subgroup provided ACDP as requested with practical, scientifically based advice on the assessment and the management of risks from transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). This advice should be in relation to food safety, public and animal health issues, taking appropriate account of present scientific uncertainty and assumptions in formulating advice on risk. To handle issues as referred, taking into account the work of other relevant bodies.

Membership

12 July 2012 minutes and agenda (254 KB)

Minutes

Download the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens TSE subgroup minutes, papers and agendas.

Ebola working subgroup

ACDP’s Ebola working subgroup (formed in 2015 ) provides, practical, scientifically based advice on the management of risks from Ebola in order to reduce the risks of human exposure to, or transmission of, Ebola in healthcare and other occupational settings. This public health advice is updated in line with current scientific advances to remain relevant, where appropriate.

Ebola working subgroup terms of reference

A time-limited group formed to provide ACDP as requested with practical, scientifically based advice on the assessment and the management of risks from Ebola, both within and outside the UK as appropriate. This advice should be in relation to public health issues and take appropriate account of present scientific uncertainty and assumptions in formulating advice and guidance. To handle issues as referred, taking into account the work of other relevant bodies.

ACDP Secretariat

UK Health Security Agency
TARGET (Tuberculosis, Acute Respiratory, Gastrointestinal, Emerging/Zoonotic and Travel Division)
National Infection Service
61 Colindale Avenue
London NW9 5EQ

Tel: 020 8327 6731

email: acdp@ukhsa.gov.uk