Committee publication · Correspondence · 1 July 2026
Correspondence to Minister Hodgson- Ebola
Summary
The Health and Social Care Committee writes to the Minister for Public Health and the Chief Medical Officer requesting details on government preparedness for Ebola following France's first confirmed case on 24 June. The Committee seeks clarity on operational capacity, border readiness, surveillance, NHS clinical preparedness, and cross-government coordination with international partners.
Key findings
- France identified its first Ebola case on 24 June, prompting Committee inquiry into UK government response
- Committee seeks briefing on operational capacity and resources of public health and healthcare services for outbreak response
- Border preparedness, surveillance capabilities, and testing infrastructure are areas of Committee concern
- Committee wants clarity on NHS clinical readiness for potential Ebola cases
- Cross-government coordination with departments, UKHSA, and international institutions needs assessment
Tone
ProceduralTopics
public-healthinfectious-diseasebiosecurityinternational-health
Key actors
Layla Moran, Sharon Hodgson, Sir Chris Whitty, Health and Social Care Committee, UKHSA, NHS, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Notable line
“The Committee is keen to understand how prepared the Government is for a future outbreak …”
Key Quotes
“I am writing to you both for more information on how the Government is responding to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in light of France identifying its first case on 24 June.”
“The Committee is keen to understand how prepared the Government is for a future outbreak, and what steps are being taken to reduce the risk to the public from this high-consequence infectious disease.”
“Could you please provide us with a briefing on how this issue is being prioritised and whether new measures have been put in place in response to recent developments.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗