Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
The Common Framework on Public Health Protection and Health Security
Letter from Director of Public Health Science and Medical Director, 16 June 2022
Public Health Scotland
Dear Convener,
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee meeting – Tuesday 21 December 2021
During a UK Government common frameworks exercise held in August 2017, health protection was identified as an area of considerable intra-UK coordination that was, in part, underpinned by our relationship with the EU and its associated agencies. Therefore, in the context of EU exit preparations, it was considered timely to consider the optimum operating model and governance arrangements to strengthen strategic and operational cooperation between the UK Government, the Devolved Governments and national public health organisations of the UK (the Parties to the Non-Legislative Framework (NLF)).
The Common Framework on Public Health Protection and Health Security has been developed jointly between UK Government, Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, supported by extensive technical engagement with the UK’s national public health organisations (Public Health England (PHE); Public Health Scotland (PHS); Public Health Wales (PHW); and the Public Health Agency Northern Ireland (PHA).
Throughout 2018-2020, the Parties participated in a series of technical policy development workshops to develop the scope of the framework. Scoping focused on improving the effectiveness of UK-wide arrangements for prevention and control of cross-border threats to health, including strengthening cooperation in areas of shared strategic importance for health protection and health security.
This included three one-day workshops held in London, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as a fortnightly series of virtual sessions undertaken since the COVID-19 pandemic. A workshop had been planned for early 2020 in Edinburgh but had to be postponed due to the pandemic. The main form of engagement has been via the Four Nations Health Protection EU Transition Group, which met regularly to discuss the framework over the last two years.
In October 2020, the Framework was scrutinised by a Review and Assessment Panel coordinated by Cabinet Office. Positive feedback, and minimal changes to the proposed framework, was unanimous across the Panel. The Panel also noted the extensive engagement and collaboration that had taken place over a prolonged period of time by the eight Parties to the Framework, as represented by the 4 Nations Health Protection Working Group.
Public Health Scotland and its predecessor organisation Heath Protection Scotland have been closely involved through the 4 Nations Health Protection Working Group in contributing and shaping the content of the final version of the Common Framework on Public Health Protection and Health Security.
Public Health Scotland was asked, as one of the eight Parties to the framework, to formally approve the final version of the Framework (18 August 2021) which incorporated a change proposed by Public Health Wales that reference to the ‘Four Nations Public Health Non-Executive Group’ should be removed from the governance chart as it is not a decision-making group, nor is it a sustainable entity.
The draft of the Framework (18 August 2021) and an explanatory note were considered by the Public Health Scotland Senior Leadership Team on 2 September 2021 and approved. Scottish Government and the Department of Health and Social Care were informed of the outcome subsequently.
The overarching aim of the Framework - to improve the effectiveness of UK-wide arrangements for prevention and control of cross-border threats to health and the strengthening cooperation in areas of shared strategic importance for health protection and health security – is one that we support and endorse.
Yours faithfully,
Nicholas Phin
Director of Public Health Science and Medical Director
Clinical and Protecting Health Directorate
Public Health Scotland