The General Election has brought a new ministerial team to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and with it a rejigging of responsibilities. As you would expect with any Party that has not been in power since 2010, the team has limited experience in government but offers a range of parliamentary and professional experience together with fresh thinking. It will also bring fresh energy which will be needed if Labour are to deliver one of its key missions for Government: Building an NHS fit for the future.
Below, Brevia Health provides an overview of the newly appointed ministers, their backgrounds, key responsibilities and the policy decisions they will be facing as part of their new roles.
The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP – Secretary of State
The Rt Hon Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, was appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 5 July 2024. Prior to this role, he served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from November 2021, succeeding Jonathan Ashworth. His previous positions include Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty and Shadow Minister for Schools.[1]
As Secretary of State, the Mr Streeting is responsible for the work of the Department including:
- Overall financial control and oversight of NHS delivery and performance.
- Oversight of social care policy.
On July 5 2024, the Secretary of State issued his first official statement, declaring that the NHS was ‘broken’.[2] He emphasized:
“It will be the mission of my department, every member of this government, and the 1.4 million people who work in the NHS to turn the health service around.” [3]
The newly appointed DHSC team will focus on this mission throughout the upcoming parliamentary session.
In a press release on July 9, 2024, the Secretary of State further outlined that the DHSC will broaden its agenda to encompass economic growth. [4] He pledged to support the Government’s growth objectives by enhancing national health, facilitating people’s return to work, and invigorating the economy through the UK’s life sciences sector. [5]
Stephen Kinnock MP – Minister of State for Care
Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberafan Maesteg, was appointed Minister of State for Care on 8 July 2024. Mr Kinnock has no prior experience in health policy but has strong shadow ministerial experience having held Shadow roles covering immigration, foreign and commonwealth affairs, and defence.[6]
As Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP is responsible for:
- Adult social care
- Hospital and community discharge
- Health and social care integration
- Dementia
- Primary care
- Community health, including neighbourhood health services
- End of life and palliative care
- Disabilities and SEND (special educational needs and disabilities)
Karin Smyth MP – Minister for Secondary Care
Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, was appointed Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care) on 8 July 2024. Karin has experience in health both in and outside of Parliament.
Before entering Parliament in May 2015, Karin worked as an NHS manager at Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group. She also served as non-executive director of Bristol North PCT from 2022 to 2006.
In Parliament, and prior to the July 2024 election, Karin spent over two years as Shadow Minister for Health at DHSC. She has also been a member on the Health and Care Bill Committee, and the Down Syndrome Bill Committee.[7]
As Minister of State for Secondary Care, Karin Smyth MP is responsible for:
- System oversight
- Elective care
- NHS workforce
- NHS data and technology
- NHS capital, land and estates
- Medicines
- Supply threats and disruption
- NHS finance
- Urgent and emergency care
- Sponsorship of:
- NHS England
- NHS Counter Fraud Authority
- NHS Property Services
- NHS Business Services Authority
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Andrew Gwynne MP – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention
Andrew Gwynne, MP for Gorton and Denton, was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention on 9 July 2024. Prior to this appointment, Andrew held several roles in Labour’s Health and Social Care team. This included Shadow Minister (Social Care) from September 2023 to May 2024 and Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care) from December 2021 to September 2023. He also served as Shadow Minister for Health from October 2011 to June 2016.[8]
Mr Gwynne’s new ministerial role reflects the Government’s recognition that public health and effective prevention services can contribute to the overall economic growth in the UK.
As Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, Mr Gwynne is responsible for:
- Health protection
- Health improvement
- International
- Major and long-term conditions
- Sponsorship of:
- UK Health Security Agency
- Food Standards Agency
Baroness Merron – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health
Baroness Merron was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health on 9 July 2024. Her brief demonstrates the Government’s focus on improving and modernizing mental health care to reflect the twenty first century. Unlike her other colleagues in the HSC team, she is the only one to have prior experience in government including at the then Department of Health where she was Minister of State for Public Health (2009-2010).[9]
As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health, Baroness Merron is responsible for:
- Patient voice and patient experience
- Patient safety
- Mental health
- Blood, transplant and organs
- Research
- Life science and innovation
- Women’s health
- Maternity services
- Reproductive health
- Abortion
- Gender identity services
- Statutory instruments
- Departmental management
- Sponsorship of:
- Health Research Authority
- Care Quality Commission
- Health Services Safety Investigations Body
- NHS Resolution
- Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
- Human Tissue Authority
- NHS Blood and Transplant
BREVIA HEALTH PROVIDES STRAIGHTFOWARD PUBLIC AFFAIRS, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKET ACCESS SUPPORT TO BUSINESSES AND CHARITIES OPERATING IN THE HIGHLY REGULATED UK HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES SECTOR.
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[1] UK Parliament, ‘Wes Streeting MP’, link
[2] DHSC and The Rt hon Wes Streeting MP, ‘The NHS is broken: Health and Social Care Secretary’, link, 5 July 2024
[3] DHSC and The Rt hon Wes Streeting MP, ‘The NHS is broken: Health and Social Care Secretary’, link, 5 July 2024
[4] DHSC and The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, ‘Secretary of State makes economic growth a priority’, link, 9 July 2024
[5] DHSC and The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, ‘Secretary of State makes economic growth a priority’, link, 9 July 2024
[6] UK Parliament, ‘Stephen Kinnock MP’, link
[7] UK Parliament, ‘Karin Smyth MP’, link
[8] UK Parliament, ‘Andrew Gwynne MP’, link
[9] UK Parliament, ‘Baroness Merron’, link
