Catalogue description Records of the Public Health Laboratory Service Board

The Public Health Laboratory Service Board (PHLS) was established on 1 August 1961 under the Public Health Laboratory Service Act, 1960. It took over functions in connection with the administration of the bacteriological service under the National Health Service Act, 1946, formerly exercised for the Ministry of Health by the Medical Research Council. The service is designed to make the laboratory investigations needed to provide a continuous picture of the communicable microbial diseases of England and Wales and developed out of the Emergency Public Health Laboratory Service established at the outbreak of the Second World War.

The act provides for the appointment to the Board of not less than two persons appointed after consultation with the Medical Research Council, two with experience as bacteriologists, two medical officers of health, one general practitioner, and one appointed after consultations with organisations representing the hospital services.

It is also involved in various aspects of the immunisation programme. It provides reference facilities on a national basis. Bacteriological examination of water, milk and food samples for local authorities is also undertaken.