New health ministers, including pharmacy minister announced

New health ministers have been announced by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) following the 2024 General Election.

Stephen Kinnock MP has taken on the role of Minister of State for Care, with a wide-ranging portfolio that includes community pharmacy, alongside other primary and community services and adult social care.

Other appointments included Karin Smyth MP, now Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care), whose portfolio includes medicines regulation, pricing, supply, and prescribing. Andrew Gwynne MP has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, with Baroness Merron appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health.

Community Pharmacy England CEO Janet Morrison said:

“We welcome the new Minister to his role and look forward to meeting at the earliest opportunity. We have been in touch to confirm our readiness to recommence CPCF negotiations and underlining how critical the situation is for pharmacy businesses. We have also reiterated our ambition to find ways forward that both ease the pressures on community pharmacies and build towards a sustainable future in which the new Government, NHS and patients can make best use of the wealth of skills and expertise available within a properly supported community pharmacy sector. We are looking forward to starting these discussions, including on how to turn the Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service as set out in the Labour Party manifesto, into a reality.”