Corporate report

UKHSA Advisory Board: 8 July 2025 minutes

Updated 11 September 2025

Date: 8 July 2025

Present at the meeting were:

• Ian Peters – Chair of UKHSA Advisory Board
• Dyfed Alsop – Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive
• Jon Friedland – Non-executive member
• Dame Marie Gabriel – Associate non-executive member
• Dame Jenny Harries – Chief Executive
• Graham Hart - Non-executive member
• Luke Heath – Director, Finance, Performance, Risk and Assurance
• Susan Hopkins – Chief Medical Advisor
• Sarah Jensen – Associate non-executive member
• Sir Gordon Messenger – Non-executive member
• Cindy Rampersaud – Non-executive member
• Steven Riley – Chief Data Officer

Observers at the meeting were:

• Jon Cocking – Director, People and Workplace
• Marc Merel – Director, Scientific Facilities and Performance
• Isabel Oliver – Chief Medical Officer (Wales)
• Suzy Powell - Director, Emergency Preparedness and Health Protection
• Sir Gregor Smith – Chief Medical Officer (Scotland)

In attendance at the meeting were:

• Shona Arora – Director, Health Equity and Clinical Governance
• Chris Lewis - Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Hannah Taylor - Director of Strategy and Policy
• 13 attendees had their name and title redacted

Apologies were received from:

• Lee Bailey – Director of Communications
• Catherine Frances – Director General, Global and Public Health (Senior Departmental Sponsor)
• Mark Lloyd – Non-executive member
• Raj Long – Associate non-executive member
• Sir Michael McBride – Chief Medical Officer Northern (Ireland)
• Thom Waite – Deputy Chief Medical Officer (England)
• Sir Chris Whitty – Chief Medical Officer (England)

1. Announcements, apologies, and declarations of interest

25/109 The Chair welcomed participants to the meeting and noted apologies.

25/110 Dyfed Alsop was thanked for fulfilling responsibilities as interim Chief Executive, alongside other senior colleagues. Announcements on the appointment of a Chief Executive and Chief Scientific Officer were expected by September.

25/111 Additionally, it was noted that activity continued on the Spending Review, future location of UKHSA laboratories and announcement of the NHS 10 year plan.

2. Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising

25/112 The Advisory Board agreed the minutes of the previous meeting with a minor amendment (enclosure AB/25/034) and list of actions (enclosure AB/25/035).

3. Chief Executive’s update

25/113 The interim Chief Executive presented his update on UKHSA’s activity (enclosure AB/25/036).

25/114 The Advisory Board noted the update. The main areas of activity included:

• planning for Spending Review outcomes in close working with DHSC
• preparing for announcement on long term location for UKHSA laboratory facilities;
• a strong response to recent rabies incident with increased number of contacts and calls

25/115 Discussion noted the following points:

• the outcome of the arm’s length body review was not anticipated to include large scale changes for UKHSA, but refinement of accountabilities in the context of wider health system mergers
• any associated outcomes from the 2024 Public Bodies Review would be confirmed with Ministers in due course
• reassurance was provided on continued data sharing with the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention while leadership appointments were confirmed in that agency
• risk assessment of health threats over the 5 to 10 year horizon remained the biggest challenge to understand the cumulative impact of funding changes in the global health landscape

4. Financial Report

25/116 The Advisory Board noted the financial update to the end of March 2025 (enclosure AB/25/037) presented by the Director, Finance, Performance, Risk and Assurance

25/117 The following points were raised in respect to the financial position:

• the in year position was finely balanced but confident on affordability. The Director, Finance, Performance, Risk and Assurance agreed to share a waterfall analysis with the Chair of Audit and Risk Committee to understand variance factors. (Action: Luke Heath)
• challenges were expected to arise following conclusion of the Spending Review with close partnership working and modelling between UKHSA and DHSC
• the trajectory of CDEL spending was in line with expectation given higher forecast spending for remainder of the financial year
• it was clarified that cyber risks were addressed through current spending of the Safer Cyber Programme in Core RDEL, while the Trust Programme spending would commence later this year with a 2 year spend planned on cyber risk mitigation
• the first draft of the Annual Report and Accounts had been shared with the National Audit Office. The fixed assets register issues were broadly concluded and no significant concerns were anticipated to affect the materiality of accounts
• the number of internal audit actions had begun to reduce and remained a focus for the Audit and Risk Committee, particularly those inherited from previous Bodies now part of UKHSA. Reassurance was given that there was no expected adverse impacts on the Annual Report
• it was at the discretion of the Comptroller and Auditor General whether the qualification resulting from the prior year opening balances would carry forward to the overall accounts this year

5. Core preparedness for environmental hazards

25/118 The Deputy Director, Centre for Climate and Health Security presented the update on preparedness for environmental hazards to health (enclosure AB/25/038). There was an incremental but continuous increase in environmental health threats, driven by climate change, ageing demographics and housing stock.

25/119 The West Nile Virus (WNV) was detected in mosquitos in the UK for the first time, alongside the movement of new mosquito vectors and pathogens northwards. While the current risk to human health remained low, the detection of WNV demonstrated the risk of vector borne diseases (VBDs) establishing in the UK and the need for strong surveillance.   

25/120 The Advisory Board noted continued progress at UKHSA to maintain and build capacity to protect health from environmental hazards and the current work to respond to the threat of West Nile Virus.

25/121 The following comments were raised during the discussion:

• members welcomed the increase in resources for VBD management, given UKHSA’s ability to be a world leader in this space
• it was agreed to discuss grant funding beyond core FTE (full-time equivalent) of medical entomology staff outside of the meeting (Action: Luke Heath / [Name redacted])
• contingency planning would set out roles and responsibilities to ensure partners were capable of supporting elimination of VBD threats. Additionally, UKHSA supported training of local authority staff in surveillance activity
• UKHSA’s waste water surveillance activity was integrated within other programmes (for example, metagenomics discussions). The current deployment and future of waste water surveillance would be discussed at Science and Research Committee and the outcome advised to Board (Action: Susan Hopkins / Jon Friedland)
• it was important to balance resourcing for larger climate change issues (extreme heat, flooding, and air quality), while recognising the levers to address these threats lay outside the health sector (for example, building infrastructure)
• it was noted that there was limited medical entomology capability in devolved administrations. UKHSA support included training session and tracking progress and risk of different vectors across the 4 nations
• Adult Social Care remained a priority sector with close partnership working between UKHSA and the Health and Safety Executive to improve guidance on extreme temperature in high-risk settings

25/122 It was suggested to return for discussion 18 months. (Action: Chief Scientific Officer / [Name redacted])

6. Global Health Activities

25/123 The Deputy Director, Global Strategy and Engagement and Head of Global Strategy presented the update (enclosure AB/25/039) on delivery of activities under UKHSA’s Global Strategy (2023 to 2026).

25/124 Important activity over the previous year included:

• deployment of expertise to various countries and outbreaks
• adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, to ensure stronger and more equitable response to future pandemics
• signing a Data Sharing Agreement with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, allowing greater access to the European surveillance portal for infectious disease
• launch of the Caribbean Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance, to strengthen regional response to antimicrobial resistance
• hosting WHO Collaborating Centres
• early planning to embed global activity into the next corporate strategic plan

25/125 The Advisory Board noted the progress update and priorities for UKHSA’s global strategic approach.

25/126 Discussion noted:

• welcome collaboration with various partners and opportunities to work closely with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. In light of funding changes across the global health landscape, there was opportunity to use the range of UKHSA’s expertise in a whole government approach to health challenges
• the integration of global strategic approaches in the next corporate strategic should also align with the science strategy to ensure global and science activity in UKHSA was prioritised and integrated seemlessly across the agency
• there was opportunity to improve the narrative of the UK’s relationship with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in context of changed Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding
• UKHSA had an important role to influence partner activity relating to prevention of health threats in the context of climate change. It was noted that climate change was an important priority for ODA funding and FCDO

7. Health Equity for Health Security

25/127 The Director, Health Equity and Clinical Governance presented the update on building capability and capacity to deliver more equitable health security outcomes through the Heath Equity for Health Security Strategy (enclosure AB/25/040). Regular progress had been tracked through the UKHSA’s Health Equity Board, and Equalities, Ethics and Communities Committee

25/128 Year 3 of the strategy focused on cementing UKHSA’s role as a system leader in health equity for health security, to influence levers outside the agency’s control to tackle health inequalities

25/129 The next UKHSA Corporate Strategy would integrate future goals and targets for health equity, to ensure it was embedded across all agency activity. UKHSA would focus on aligning these goals with government missions and the NHS 10-year plan

25/130 The Advisory Board noted the achievements to date and priorities for delivering the Health Equity for Health Security Strategy

25/131 The following points were raised in discussion:

• members welcomed integration of the next health equity strategy into the agency’s corporate strategy. This approach would support external facing building blocks alongside the current internal focus
• it was important to portray the economic advantages of improved equity alongside the health outcomes. Substantial evidence existed at macro level with UKHSA developing further evidence in conjunction with UKHSA’s epidemiology and health economics teams
• the Chief Medical Officer for Wales offered to support engagement with partners on a WHO office in Wales on the health and wellbeing economy
• the announcement of NHS 10-year plan presented greater opportunities to bring health equity into neighbourhood working and prevention activity. This would build upon UKHSA’s focus on integrated national-regional-local partnership, underpinned by clear roles and responsibilities across the health system
• the Fleming Institute was noted as an example where understanding initiatives and outputs of other partners would support understanding of how UKHSA could influence levers outside its control

25/132 A further update was welcomed in approximately 12 months. (Action: Susan Hopkins / Shona Arora)

8. Advisory Board Committees

25/133 The Advisory Board noted verbal updates from the latest Committee meetings as below:

• the Audit and Risk Committee June meeting discussed internal audit actions, information governance, data security and cyber, and effectiveness review

25/134 The Advisory Board noted the confirmed minutes as below:

• the Audit and Risk Committee meeting on 18 March 2025 (enclosure AB/25/041).
• the People and Culture Committee meeting on 5 February 2025 (enclosure AB/25/042)
• the Science and Research Committee meeting on 29 January 2025 (enclosure AB/25/043)

25/135 The Advisory Board endorsed revised Terms of Reference for:

• the Science and Research Committee (enclosure AB/25/044)
• the People and Culture Committee (enclosure AB/25/045)
• the Audit and Risk Committee (enclosure AB/25/046)

25/136 It was noted these Terms of Reference may evolve in light of the framework agreement renewal.

9. Questions from members of the public

25/137 No questions were received from members of the public.

10. Forward Look

25/138 The Advisory Board noted the forward look (enclosure AB/25/047).

11.Any other business and close

25/139 The Childhood Immunisation Schedule was updated through extensive activity and engagement by UKHSA and partners in the previous year. This resulted in the greatest changes to the schedule in 30 years (for example, improved protection and catchup through bringing forward the 2nd dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine)

25/140 There being no other business, the meeting closed at 11:53am.