Health Minister Maria Caulfield MP has written to Professor Dame Jenny Harries chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirming the agency's priorities for 2023-24.

The letter outlines UKHSA’s strategic remit, priorities, core capabilities and key deliverables for the financial year.

Caulfield said: "I would like to start by thanking everyone at UKHSA for your work this past year to protect the public and develop the core capabilities of the agency. UKHSA continues to make significant achievements in the response to COVID-19 and vital contributions to protecting the public from many other infectious diseases including mpox, seasonal flu and polio.

"UKHSA is investing its energies to develop and strengthen its broad range of health security capabilities and making significant efforts in building relationships and partnerships across the health system, government, the UK and internationally.

"The purpose of this letter is to set out your core responsibilities for 2023 to 2024 and focus on key deliverables. To complement this letter, UKHSA’s annual business plan will set out the full list of your priorities which will be developed in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)."

UKHSA should continue to provide public health protection functions including pandemic and major epidemics preparedness; infectious disease threats; emergency preparedness, resilience and response; vaccinations, immunisations and treatments; scientific infrastructure; working with academia and industry; parliamentary and public accountability.

The letter also lays out key deliverables which include continuing to strengthen solid corporate foundations for the organisation, putting in place capabilities and resources to enable the organisation to respond to requests from the COVID-19 Inquiry, and proactively anticipating and encouraging advancements and innovation in vaccine technology.