New ministerial team unveiled at Department of Health
pharmafile | October 29, 2003 | News story | |
The Government has used the unexpected departure of Alan Milburn to bring in four new ministers to head the Department of Health under new Health Secretary Dr John Reid.
Only John Hutton remains from the team Mr Milburn put together two years ago, with Jacqui Smith and Hazel Blears moving on to Trade and Industry and the Home Office respectively. Lord Norman Warner becomes Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Lords with responsibility for pharmaceutical industry issues. He replaces Lord Philip Hunt, who resigned from the Government over the Iraq crisis in March.
The ministers and their responsibilities are as follows:
John Hutton MP, Minister of State for Health
NHS workforce issues including pay, performance and access, capacity expansion, and primary care and NHS IT.
Rosie Winterton MP, Minister of State
Emergency care including A&E and ambulance services, NHS Direct, adult mental health services, clinical negligence, patient and public involvement, diabetes services, transplants and organ donation, dentistry and pharmacy issues.
Lord Norman Warner, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Lords
CHI and the NHS performance ratings, new CHAI, quality and clinical governance, NICE, pharmaceutical industry issues, genetics and biotechnology, departmental agencies and R&D.
Melanie Johnson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health
Cancer, coronary heart disease, tobacco policy, communicable diseases, immunisation, health inequalities, drug and alcohol misuse, and sexual health issues.
Stephen Ladyman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Community Care
Adult social services, older people's services, policy on carers, children health services, services for disabled people, autism, and long-term medical conditions.
