HEALTH services are set to work closely with a new government agency established to combat infectious diseases.

The new National Infection Control and Health Protection Agency will work on preventing and controlling infectious diseases like vCJD and HIV as part of its overall aim to protect the nation's health.

Area health services, along with other bodies such as the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, and the Public Health Laboratory Service, will work with the agency.

Since the NHS began 54 years ago, this is the first comprehensive strategy to tackle the risks associated with infectious diseases in this country.

Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson said: "The problem of infectious disease is never static and the modernisation of these services is vital if we are to continue combating the existing risks and make effective plans for the future.

"A great strength of what is proposed is the ability to bring together services dealing with separate aspects of health protection."

In the past 30 years, 30 previously unknown infectious diseases have been identified for which there is no fully effective treatment.