Labour MP for Bristol South, Karin Smyth, has been appointed Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care)
Stephen Kinnock, the Labour MP for Aberafan Maesteg, has been appointed as the new pharmacy minister.
Kinnock shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) today (July 12), it read: “Busy first week in my new role as Minister of State for Care @DHSCgovuk , covering adult social care, primary care and community care.
“We'll be working relentlessly to address challenges and seize opportunities for change across the portfolio, so watch this space!”
Kinnock will succeed Andrea Leadsom, who served as pharmacy minister from November 2023 until the collapse of the Conservative government.
Kinnock was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 8 July 2024.
Kinnock’s page on the DHSC website lists him as Minister of State for Care whose responsibilities include:
Adult social care:
- workforce
- funding
- system assurance and data
- markets
- technology and innovation
- continuing healthcare
- hospital and community discharge
- health and social care integration
- dementia
Primary care:
- general practice
- pharmacy
- eye care
- dentistry
Community health, including neighbourhood health services
End of life and palliative care
Disabilities and SEND (special educational needs and disabilities)
Meanwhile, Labour MP for Bristol South Karin Smyth has been appointed as minister of state for health (secondary care). She will be responsible for system oversight, elective care, NHS workforce, medicines, and NHS finance.
The responsibilities of the minister of state for health (secondary care) listed by the DHSC include:
System oversight:
- system reconfigurations and improvement
- commissioning
Elective care:
- elective performance and waiting list recovery
- cancer care
NHS workforce:
- recruitment and retention
- education and training
- leadership
- pay and pensions
- industrial relations
- professional regulation
NHS data and technology:
- cyber security
- Federated Data Platform
NHS capital, land and estates:
- New Hospital Programme
- hospital upgrades
- reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC)
- energy resilience and net zero
- car parking
Medicines:
- medicines regulation, pricing and supply
- prescribing
- supply threats and disruption
NHS finance:
- procurement
- cost recovery and immigration health surcharge
- counter fraud
- urgent and emergency care:
- accident and emergency services
- NHS 111 services
- hospital at home services
- ambulances
- winter planning
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
Karin Smyth was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care on 8 July 2024.
