Following Labour’s victory in the general election, the Homecare Association has congratulated Sir Keir Starmer MP on becoming Prime Minister and called on the new Labour government to put ‘’home first’’, when care needs are assessed.
Wes Streeting MP has been appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, having held the same post in the Shadow Cabinet. His responsibilities include overall financial control and oversight of NHS delivery and performance, and oversight of social care policy. In his first statement, the new Health and Social Care Secretary set out his mission ‘to save the NHS’, reflecting government priorities. Wes Streeting gave an inspiring talk at an event on Tuesday 9 July, which you can watch online.
Stephen Kinnock MP has been appointed Minister of State for Social Care. He has been the MP for Aberafan Maesteg, formerly Aberavon, since 2015. Stephen was previously shadow minister for immigration from February 2022. He is the son of British politicians Neil Kinnock and the late Glenys Kinnock. He is married to the former Prime Minister of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt. His portfolio covers primary care, community healthcare, and social care. The previous Minister for Care, Helen Whately MP, was responsible for community healthcare, hospital discharge and social care. Stephen Kinnock has a wider brief than his predecessor because DHSC now has one less Minister than before.
Andrew Gwynne MP, formerly the Shadow Minister for Social Care, is now the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention.
You can see the list of Ministers at the Department of Health and Social Care, and their responsibilities, on the department’s website.
Our CEO, Dr Jane Townson OBE, welcomed the new ministerial appointments, commenting:
"The Homecare Association welcomes Wes Streeting in his new role as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Stephen Kinnock as Minister for Social Care.
A quarter of us will be 65 or older in 25 years. Our health and care system is not coping now. To meet this challenge, we must transform how we fund, provide, and ensure access to care.
Our manifesto highlights seven areas of focus for the incoming government.
We look forward to working with Wes Streeting, Stephen Kinnock and the Labour Government to address the opportunities and challenges we face in the homecare sector.’’
A full list of ministerial appointments across government can be found on the Government website.
