Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness: commission

The Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness is hereby commissioned by the First Minister to provide the Scottish Government with advice on preparedness for future pandemics.

Timescales

The Committee are requested to provide:

• an interim report within six months of the receipt of this Commission and 
• a final report within 18 months of the submission of the interim report

 The interim report should set out the Committee’s:

• initial advice on priority work that should commence as soon as possible to improve preparedness for future pandemics and
• interim conclusions on any of the issues covered by this Commission where, in the Committee’s view, it is helpful to do so in advance of their final report

The final report should set out the Committee’s advice on:

• the issues set out in this Commission and
• any issues where further work is required beyond the timescales set out in this Commission to provide fuller advice on:

o    the issues set out in this Commission and
o    any other issue within the Committee’s remit

Advice required

The Committee are requested to provide advice on:

• threat intelligence, assessment and response
• priorities for research
• strengthening the response infrastructure and
• priorities in relation to the issues set out in this Commission in response to the conclusions of the UK Risk Assessment

Threat intelligence, assessment and response

Advice on detecting biological and other health threats quickly, evaluating their impacts and identifying potential counter measures. Including advice on:

• Scotland’s current capability to detect, monitor and assess the threat of future pandemics across the full range of potential threats, including advice on

o    addressing any gaps in that capability and priorities for increasing capacity where that would be beneficial
o    specific advice on capacity for epidemiological surveillance, genomic sequencing, waste water monitoring and ad hoc monitoring and surveillance of novel pathogens, communicable diseases and other pandemic risks

• Scotland’s current capability to respond to future pandemics across the full range of potential threats, including:

o    advice on priorities for addressing any gaps in that capability and priorities for increasing capacity where that would be beneficial
o    identifying and connecting with existing networks at UK, European or International level that could help support our response and any priorities for strengthening those networks

Priorities for research

Advice on research priorities, taking account of UK, European and other relevant research agendas; specifically in relation to:

• issues of particular relevance to Scotland due to identified risks or vulnerabilities in relation to potential future pandemics
• identifying priorities around data sharing and infrastructure
• issues where understanding of behaviour and responsiveness to mitigations in the context of a pandemic could assist with preparedness
• issues where the strength of the Scottish research base could make a contribution to pandemic preparedness of Scotland in a UK, European or International context and
• the development of effective, safe and affordable medical countermeasures

Strengthening the response infrastructure

Advice on priorities for strengthening Scotland’s technological and productive capacity to respond to future pandemics, strengthening supply chains, reducing critical dependencies and improving skills. Including:

• mapping critical technologies and production facilities for medical and other countermeasures or other relevant products, assessing their manufacturing capacities and supply chains and their capability to increase production in times of need
• identifying potential bottlenecks in supply chains that could limit production capacity of critical facilities during a health crisis and suggesting options to strengthen supply chains and address bottlenecks
• identifying opportunities for investment in technologies and productive capacity which would enhance Scotland’s preparedness for or capability to respond to future pandemics and
• identifying priorities for strengthening knowledge and skills which would improve Scotland’s preparedness for and capacity to respond to future pandemics

Priorities in response to the conclusions of the UK Risk Assessment

Advice on:

• the priorities for Scotland, in relation to the issues set out in this Commission, in response to the conclusions of the UK Risk Assessment and
• any non-priority issues for Scotland in response to the conclusions of the UK Risk Assessment, in relation to the issues set out in this Commission, where they are not otherwise covered by the Committee’s advice in response to this Commission