Government AXE PHE and replace it with new institute run by former jockey Baroness Dido Harding

Matt Hancock faced scathing criticism today after he axed Public Health England and handed the reins of its replacement to a Tory peer who led the NHS Test and Trace fiasco and has no scientific background. Experts said making Baroness Dido Harding interim chief of the new National Institute for Health Protection made as 'much sense as Chris Whitty being appointed a head of Vodafone'. PHE's failings include: Miscounting at least 5,000 Covid-19 deaths due to a statistical flaw; Scrapping widespread testing and contact tracing early in the crisis; Refusing to share regional infection data with local public health officials; Ignoring offers from universities and scientific labs to help scale up testing. Chain of command: Baroness Harding will report directly to the health secretary after her appointment as interim chief of the new National Institute for Health Protection today Matt Hancock today officially axed Public Health England was axed today after a series of failings during the coronavirus crisis. He was criticised for handing the reins of its replacement to Baroness Harding Baroness Harding's husband, Tory MP John Penrose, is a board member of the think tank '182' which has published several reports calling for PHE to be abolished PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND's CORONAVIRUS FAILINGS Public Health England has come under fire for a number of its responses to the Covid-19 crisis.