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Health protection

The Tower Hamlets public health team seeks to protect the health and well-being of people in the borough from infectious diseases (e.g. tuberculosis (TB), measles, food-borne diseases, etc), to prevent harm and reduce the impact of hazards involving chemicals, poisons and other health threats such as severe weather, flooding and terrorism.

Health protection activities include:

  • ensuring there are local arrangements in place for detecting and treating communicable diseases (e.g. TB, healthcare associated infections, food-borne diseases)
  • implementing immunisation programmes (see immunisation)
  • responding to health protection matters to warn, inform and advise the public (e.g. flu, severe weather, etc).

Work we are doing locally to tackle this issue

To protect the health of Tower Hamlets residents, we work in partnership with the council’s environmental health team, the local Health Protection Unit (HPU), Barts Health and primary care.

Some of the ways we work together include:

  • developing local emergency preparedness plans and health policies
  • ensuring robust business continuity plans are developed and tested
  • carrying out population needs assessment, health equity audits, evaluation of programmes
  • putting arrangements in place to respond to major incidents and health protection issues
  • working with the local HPU in the investigation and management of disease outbreaks
  • responding to international, national and local health alerts
  • conducting research and development to minimize health risks
  • providing training, education and health promotion interventions about infectious diseases for local communities and health professionals.

Services

Health protection function is delivered through various settings:

  • primary care practices
  • secondary care settings (Barts Health)
  • pharmacies
  • council environmental health team
  • public health team
  • Health Protection Unit.

Speak to your GP for more information on vaccinations.

Useful external links

The Truth About TB: www.thetruthabouttb.org
Public Health England: www.hpa.org.uk/