Our governance

This information page was withdrawn on

Public Health England was replaced by UK Health Security Agency and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Current corporate information can be found at these organisations.

Framework agreement

The Framework agreement between the Department of Health and Public Health England (PHE) sets out PHE’s overarching governance arrangements.

PHE leadership organogram

The PHE leadership organogram (PDF, 557 KB, 1 page) sets out the respective roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team.

PHE Advisory Board

The PHE Advisory Board meets publicly at least 4 times a year. Led by its chair, it is responsible for providing strategic advice on the running of PHE, assuring the effectiveness of PHE’s corporate governance arrangements, and for advising the chief executive on:

  • the development of PHE’s corporate plan and annual business plan
  • PHE’s financial and performance objectives, and progress on meeting those objectives
  • ensuring that PHE maintains independence and the highest professional and scientific standards in preparing and publishing its advice, and commands the confidence of the professional and scientific communities related to public health
  • issues and policies, both within the public health system and from other government departments, which could impact on the strategic direction of PHE

The PHE Advisory Board has established an Audit and Risk Committee, chaired by an independent non-executive member with significant experience of financial leadership at board level. The committee looks at risk management, corporate governance and assurance arrangements for PHE.

PHE Advisory Board terms of reference (PDF, 270 KB, 6 pages)

Papers for Advisory Board meetings

These are available from the PHE Advisory Board meetings collection.

Interim chief executive

  • Michael Brodie

The chief executive is responsible for the leadership and management of PHE and the delivery of its objectives. He is supported by the PHE management committee, which meets monthly and provides executive management and governance of the operations and delivery of PHE.

The chief executive is also supported by the PHE Advisory Board comprising a non-executive chairman and non-executive and executive members.

Chair

Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent; former Chair of the British Science Association and President of Universities UK from 2015 to 2017. Currently President of the Royal Society of Biology.

Non-executive PHE Advisory Board members

  • Sir Derek Myers, Chair of PHE’s Audit and Risk Committee
  • George Griffin, recently retired as a consultant physician and Professor of Infectious Diseases and Medicine at St George’s, University of London

Associate non-executive PHE Advisory Board members

  • Sian Griffiths, independent health consultant, Emeritus Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Visiting Professor at the Institute for Global Health Innovation, Imperial College, London
  • Michael Hearty, independent member of PHE’s Audit and Risk Committee

Executive PHE Advisory Board members

  • Paul Cosford, Emeritus Medical Director
  • Yvonne Doyle, Director for Health Protection and Medical Director
  • Richard Gleave, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive
  • Donald Shepherd, (interim) Finance and Commercial Director
  • Rashmi Shukla CBE, Director, Midlands and East

PHE Advisory Board register of interests

See the latest PHE Advisory Board register of interests.

Health Protection Regulations 2010

In 2010, regulations came into force to complete the modernised legal framework for health protection in England.

Three sets of regulations complement the updated Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, which was substantially amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2008. These are:

Part 2A Orders

The Regulations of the Public Health Act include legal powers, available to enforce actions to protect public health: Part 2A Orders. They are available to local authorities and involve an application to a magistrate.

Local authorities would typically use these powers in consultation with other organisations, such as PHE, the NHS or the emergency services.

PHE has specific responsibilities to report on the use of the orders.

Whenever an application is made for a Part 2A Order (whether it relates to a person, thing, body, or premises) the local authority must make a written report to PHE: Part2AOrder@phe.gov.uk.

PHE tracks the use of Part 2A Orders but does not act on any individual orders.

The guidance to the Regulations requires PHE to provide a summary of the reports to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) annually and to publish the information. PHE publishes an anonymised summary of the use of Part 2A orders submitted to it, on an annual basis.

Health protection legislation guidance

The Department of Health and Health Protection Agency (now Public Health England), in consultation with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, published guidance on the updated health protection legislation covering the amended Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 and new regulations made under it.

The guidance explains notification requirements of registered medical practitioners and laboratories testing human samples as well as health protection powers available to local authorities and justices of the peace.

The Health protection legislation guidance 2010 is available on the UK government web archive.

Health Protection Regulations 2010 Toolkit

This toolkit is a set of documents for authorised officers to deal with practical situations when they arise.

The toolkit was produced by Environmental Health at Lewes District Council and the Surrey and Sussex Health Protection Unit of the former Health Protection Agency. It complements, rather than replaces, the formal guidance.

Read the Health Protection Regulations 2010 Toolkit.

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