The objectives of the Committee are to:
Support and monitor the application of the Common Framework on Public Health Protection and Health Security, including by agreeing the underpinning work programme;
Facilitate multilateral policy development on public health protection and health security and seek, where agreeable, to develop and jointly decide common policy approaches;
Support UK-wide surveillance of communicable diseases and related special health matters, including by: – reviewing, and where appropriate making a recommendation to the Secretary of State to add or otherwise amend the list of communicable diseases and related special health matters that are subject to UK-wide surveillance; – specifying case definitions applying to the list of communicable diseases and related special health matters that are subject to UK-wide surveillance to ensure the comparability and compatibility of the data collected from across the UK; – establishing and reviewing procedures for the collection and sharing of such information;
Maintain the TCA National Focal Point communications protocol for bringing the UK authorities into permanent communication with one another in order to facilitate the prevention and control of serious cross-border health threats affecting the UK and at least one EU Member State and/or those threats which may necessitate a coordinated response by the UK authorities in order to ensure a high level of human protection; •
Facilitate consultation between the UK authorities with a view to coordinating their efforts to develop, strengthen and maintain their respective capacities for the monitoring, early warning and assessment of, and response to, serious cross-border health threats;
Manage potential divergence, and promote a collaborative approach to public health protection policy between the four UK nations in a way that respects the Devolution Settlements and the principles set out in the UK framework;
Escalate issues relating to the application of the framework as per the dispute avoidance and resolution process;
Review and amend the framework as per the R...