South West Region

HPA South West covers the largest English geographic region, with just over 18 per cent of England 's land area, three strategic health authorities, 32 primary care trusts and 38 local authorities.

We provide a health protection service covering infectious, chemical, radiological and nuclear hazards to the population of the South West by:

• Providing advice, guidance and operational support to the NHS, Government Office South West, local authorities and other agencies
• Providing advice to the public
• Contributing to the promotion of professional standards and the training and development of a range of NHS and other staff involved in public health protection
• Undertaking research and development

HPA South West's regional office is based in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. This office includes regional epidemiology, regional health emergency planning and the environmental hazards team, which provide a range of services to NHS and non-NHS organisations.

There is a regional HPA laboratory in Bristol , eight HPA collaborating laboratories throughout the South West, and three specialist microbiology units: the Primary Care Unit and Vaccine Evaluation Unit, both in Gloucester , and the Food Microbiology Collaborating Unit, just outside Bristol .

Specialist services are delivered to the South West population by three Health Protection Units, matching Strategic Health Authority boundaries (see top right):

• Avon , Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
• Dorset and Somerset
• South West Peninsula

The Health Protection Units:

• Provide specialist advice and support locally to Primary Care Trusts, hospitals, local authorities and others
• Agree with key local stakeholder organisations how health protection should be delivered locally
• Investigate and manage a range of health protection incidents (including outbreaks of infections such as meningitis, and food poisoning)
• Undertake surveillance and provide information to professionals and to the public
• Access expert advice on chemical, radiological and nuclear issues, environmental health hazards, health emergency planning, information technology and communications
• Coordinate, support and monitor local implementation of key national public health protection programmes

Last reviewed: 20 May 2008

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