HPSC has six main areas of responsibility:

1.Surveillance of some of the major communicable diseases. By surveillance, we mean: ◦Collecting data ◦Collating it ◦Analysing it and ◦Communicating information to those who need to know
2.Operational support - providing expert advice to, and responding to requests for support from, departments of public health or hospitals;
3.Training for professionals working in communicable disease control;
4.Research - identifying and developing best practice in communicable diseases;
5.Policy advice - providing advice to government departments and appropriate agencies in relation to the development of standards, guidelines and practices, and promoting the adoption of best practice by different agencies;
6.Public information - providing information on infectious diseases to the public and the media.