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Boris Johnson has picked Steve Barclay as the new health secretary following the resignation of Sajid Javid, who stepped down on July 5 after saying he had lost faith in prime minister's leadership. Barclay - who had served as chief of staff of the prime minister since February 2022 - was previously a junior health minister in 2018, responsible for NHS workforce and finance, before serving as Brexit secretary, chief secretary to the Treasury, and chancellor of the duchy. He is the fourth health secretary after Jeremy Hunt, Matt Hancock and Sajid Javid in the past five years. In a statement on his appointment, Barclay said it was "an honour" to be take up the position, adding: "Our NHS and social care staff have showed us time and again - throughout the pandemic and beyond - what it means to work with compassion and dedication to transform lives. "This government is investing more than ever before in our NHS and care services to beat the Covid-19 backlogs, recruit 50,000 more nurses, reform social care and ensure patients across the country can access the care they need."

Prime minister Rishi Sunak appointed Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire Steve Barclay as secretary of state for health and social care on 25 October 2022. He previously held the same role between 5 July and 6 September - after Sajid Javid resigned as health secretary. As head of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) his responsibilities will include "overall financial control and oversight of NHS delivery and performance" as well as "oversight of social care policy". Mr Barclay was succeeded by Thérèse Coffey, who thanked her "great ministerial team" at the DHSC in a Tweet, before taking up her new responsibility as environment secretary in the new cabinet. As head of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) his responsibilities will include "overall financial control and oversight of NHS delivery and performance" as well as "oversight of social care policy". Mr Barclay was succeeded by Thérèse Coffey, who thanked her "great ministerial team" at the DHSC in a Tweet, before taking up her new responsibility as environment secretary in the new cabinet.

Dr Thérèse Coffey, the MP for Suffolk Coastal, has been appointed as health secretary - the fourth person to get the job after Jeremy Hunt, Matt Hancock, Sajid Javid and Steve Barclay in the past five years. She replaces Steve Barclay who held the job for just two months between July and September. Having first been elected in 2010 and subsequently re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019, Dr Coffey has served as secretary of state for the Department of Work and Pensions. Previous to that she served as environment minister, deputy leader of the House, government whip and parliamentary private secretary. As an MP she has campaigned on improving NHS experience for patients. Dr Coffey grew up in the North West and has a PhD in Chemistry and a chartered management accountant qualification.

Louth and Horncastle's MP Victoria Atkins has taken the new role of Health Secretary today (13 November) amid the PM's cabinet reshuffle. Steve Barclay, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care was moved to become Environment Secretary after being assigned the role of Health Secretary. The following decision was made consequent to Steve Barclay being reassigned from the role. The news comes at a time when the NHS faces enduring challenges and industrial action, making this change particularly significant. MP Atkins is married to Paul Kenward, managing director of British Sugar, which also grows medicinal cannabis.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have both urged the new health secretary Steve Barclay to back the 'pharmacy first' approach in England as mentioned by his predecessor on numerous occasions. "Sajid Javid recognised the vital role of community pharmacy and the potential of a 'Pharmacy First' to support patient access to care. I would urge the new Health Secretary to see this through to completion," said chair of RPS in England Thorrun Govind. Thorrun hopes the new health secretary will engage with pharmacy leaders about how we can make the most of our health and care workforce to support the NHS recovery, including reducing health inequalities, managing the growing cost of long-term conditions, and utilising the enhanced skills of Pharmacist Independent Prescribers. Commenting on the new appointment, she said: "This is a crucial time for the future of health and care - with continued pressures on teams, changes to NHS structures and organisations, and the need for long-term investment in the workforce. "With a 'refresh' of the NHS Long-Term Plan and the Government's workforce plan expected later this year, these must support a more ambitious approach to advancing the clinical role of pharmacists across the NHS to better meet changing patient demand, backed by investment in pharmacy education and training.

The Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has proposed a new £30 million fund to speed up the adoption of innovative medical technology in the NHS. He confirmed the plan today at the Conservative Party Conference 2023 in Manchester. Mr Barclay said that virtual wards will help healthcare professionals embrace new technology to improve patient care. He said: "It is vital that clinicians have access to the latest technology to save staff time, deliver high-quality care and help cut waiting lists - one of the government's top five priorities. "This investment will see the latest tech innovations rolled out across the NHS. From virtual ward beds to wearable medical devices, patients will be better supported, and we will ease pressures on hospitals this winter. "We're preparing for this winter earlier than ever before including delivering thousands more hospital beds and hundreds of new ambulances."

The health secretary, Steve Barclay was asked over the delay of 'Pharmacy First' model in England that was proposed by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) last year, at the Health Committee evidence session held on Tuesday (31 January). Taiwo Owatemi MP (Chair of the Pharmacy APPG) asked whether he was adhering to his statutory responsibility to ensure continued access to medicines and cited the CCA's closures in areas of deprivation research. Barclay replied that the government is 'investing more'. He said, "We put an extra 100 million on top of the 2.6 billion a year we commit to community pharmacy to expand the range of clinical services. We've got over 2 million patients that have been referred to community pharmacy from NHS." He further added: "One of the issues I'm very keen on is to explore what more we can do in pharmacy not least given the pressures on GP and the opportunity to look at what it is currently people go to GPS for where potentially the risk to do more at the pharmacy and we're already doing that."

In the parliamentary drop-in-event hosted by Community Pharmacy England last week, Members of Parliament (MPs) questioned the Health Secretary on the rising issue of medicines supply. "Eighteen community pharmacists in my constituency are reporting challenges on medicine supplies. What more is the Minister going to do to get a grip of this situation?", Mike Amesbury MP for Weaver Vale, who was present at the event last week, asked the Health Secretary. In his response, the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay MP said: "We have a long-standing team in the Department focused on medical supplies, which are a continual issue; as a matter of routine business, there are often challenges in that area." The Shadow Pharmacy Minister, Karin Smyth MP, also asked: "People across the country rely on local, accessible pharmacies, but whether it is high street closures or supply problems leading to the absurd situation where women are phoning or visiting multiple pharmacies for a prescribed dose of hormone replacement therapy and other drugs…They have repeatedly announced plans to expand the role of community pharmacies but have failed to update legislation that could possibly help. … Why will they not do so?

The Parliamentarians have called the government to urgently consider the short-term funding to stabilise the community pharmacy sector. 39 MPs and Peers from across the political spectrum have signed letters to the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay MP and raised their growing concern about the pressures facing England's community pharmacies and the risks this poses to patient care and safety. "Steve Barclay MP received correspondence from 23 Opposition MPs, with six Peers also signing a letter. Separately, 9 Conservative MPs also wrote to the Health Secretary and up to 10 others have signalled their intention to write to the relevant Minister," said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). The Parliamentarians acknowledged that pharmacies have the potential to do more to support the NHS and they called for the government to urgently consider a commitment to working with the sector to create a fair and fit for purpose future funding model that ensures sustainability and properly funds pharmacies for what they do. All signatories also called for the introduction of a fairly-funded Pharmacy First service.

The Pharmaceutical Defence Association (PDA) has urged health ministers of the UK to take a strict and necessary action against the unnecessary closures of pharmacy. Concerned over the rising number of pharmacy closures, PDA has written an open letter to health secretary Steve Barclay; Robin Swann, health minister for Northern Ireland; Eluned Morgan, minister of health and social services for Wales; and Humza Yousaf, the Scottish health secretary. In its letter, PDA said: "The minister of health must now ensure the regulation of poor business behaviours and be prepared to take over rogue pharmacies, however large their corporate owner may be. If patients' access to NHS services is to be protected from the consequences of avoidable full or part-day pharmacy closures." The association believes it is only a matter of time before serious harm to patients' health will be caused by the decisions of mainly large chains of pharmacies to close some of their branches for all or part of a day, instead of engaging an available pharmacist to cover their agreed opening hours. "While a small number of unforeseen closures have always occurred from time to time in pharmacies for genuine reasons, the indiscriminate scale at which closures have now become commonplace seems to have evolved over the last 20 months."

Following Community Pharmacy England's Parliamentary drop-in event on medicines supply issues last week, several MPs have since raised questions to the Health Secretary during a Health Questions session on July 18th. According to CPE, MPs from all Parties displayed great engagement with the current pressures facing community pharmacies, particularly regarding medicines supply issues. During last week's event, Mike Amesbury, the MP for Weaver Vale, was present and directed a question to the Health Secretary: "Eighteen community pharmacists in my constituency are reporting challenges with medicine supplies. What further actions will the Minister take to address and resolve this situation effectively?" In response, Health Secretary Steve Barclay MP stated, "We have a dedicated team in the Department that focuses on medical supplies, which are an ongoing concern. Challenges in this area are a routine part of our business."

Leading pharmacy bodies and associations are looking forward to working with 'reappointed' Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, on 'future roles' and 'funding' for the community pharmacy. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) England Country Board Chair, Thorrun Govind, hopes that the ministers will now be able to focus on addressing the key challenges facing the health service and the country. "This means not just getting through the winter, but planning for and investing in the future." She added: "It will be crucial to use the skills of all our health professions to support the NHS recovery, reduce health inequalities, manage the growing cost of long-term conditions, and deliver best value from medicines.

Those of us who work in community pharmacy know there is a workforce crisis created in large measure by PCNs actively recruiting pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from our sector. It is welcome, if long overdue, that this has now been officially acknowledged in a report commissioned by the English Health Secretary. PCN hiring 'exacerbates pharmacist shortage' says DH-commissioned report, which states such recruitment has "on occasion exacerbated the problem of a general shortage of pharmacists" which has compounded "the problem of community pharmacy closures." We have been telling the government this for years only to be told "problem? What problem?"- but now that Steve Barclay has his own official report sitting on his desk, he and NHSE cannot continue in denial mode. The facts are there for all to see. Time to act. No more dithering, delay or indifference. You asked if there was a problem and you have been told there is. In the absence of a holistic workforce strategy and cross-sector career pathways, PCNs poaching from community pharmacy is a zero sum game adding nothing to improving patient care.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, health secretary Steve Barclay stated that he has asked his officials within DHSC to look at a "pharmacy first" approach to alleviate pressures on A&E departments in order to avoid the widely predicted NHS winter crisis. On the face of it, this a welcome if long overdue recognition that community pharmacy is an essential part of our national healthcare infrastructure alongside our GP and A&E colleagues. But let's not get carried away - we have had lots of praise from politicians in the past which have not then been backed by firm commitments for a sustainable future for the network. Could this be a turning point? I hope so, but I am not confident it will be. I fear this may turn out to be another emergency stop-gap measure which does nothing to secure the long-term viability of the sector in England. The role of community pharmacy during the recent Covid pandemic demonstrated clearly how important we are to ensure people have easy access to essential healthcare support, advice and services. The NHS winter crisis can only be avoided or at least mitigated if the potential of the community pharmacy network to provide more patient care services is unlocked and that Barclay requires you to end pharmacy funding austerity and start investing. The Treasury will no doubt say there is no more money, but what then the alternative other than a NHS winter crisis? And, of course, treating people in secondary care settings is far more costly than community pharmacy based interventions.

The trade bodies and four largest pharmacy chains in England, have jointly written to the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, warning that the sector needs urgent investment for sustainability. The letter from AIMp, CCA, NPA, PSNC, Boots UK, Lloyds Pharmacy, Well, and Phoenix UK, warned that the 30 per cent real terms funding cuts that pharmacies have faced over the past seven years have left many businesses in a cashflow crisis. The letter said that the government is facing a choice over the future of the country's 11,000+ community pharmacies, with permanent closures likely and medicines supply at risk if no urgent action is taken. "If the funding situation is not addressed, the sector is likely to move rapidly towards many permanent closures of pharmacies." The organisations say that once these closures start, they will be hard to stop, as the sector is now so fragile other pharmacies would struggle to pick up the slack.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to convene a 'medicines supply taskforce', following weeks of problems with antibiotics supplies. The NPA's chief executive Mark Lyonette wrote a letter to Steve Barclay this week. It cited the precedent of the HRT Taskforce which this summer brought together representatives from across the supply chain after months of supply problems affecting women. "We strongly believe that this situation calls for a similar response from the government. It is imperative that we resolve this supply situation urgently and therefore we request that you convene a Medicines Supply Taskforce, with all the relevant stakeholders in the supply chain, to urgently discuss and agree practical solutions to address the disruptions to the supply of medicines. HRT and antibiotics are the most visible examples of a wider problem with medicines supply which needs to be addressed." NPA board members Olivier Picard and Reena Barai were among the stakeholders joining meetings convened by the HRT Taskforce this summer.

A polio vaccine booster campaign is being launched for almost a million children in London aged between 1 and 9 after confirmation that poliovirus is spreading in the capital for the first time since the 1980s. The UK Health Security Agency has identified 116 polioviruses from 19 sewage samples this year in London, after first sending an alert about finding the virus in June. The levels of poliovirus found and genetic diversity indicated that transmission was taking place in a number of London boroughs, the agency said on Wednesday (Aug 10). Health secretary Steve Barclay said: "I recognise parents and guardians will be concerned about the detection of polio in London, however I want to reassure people that nobody has been diagnosed with the virus and the risk to the wider population is low… "Vaccines offer the best defence to children, and those around them, so I would encourage families to ensure they are up to date with their routine jabs, and to come forward for the polio booster as soon as they are contacted by the NHS."

All adults aged 50 years and above are eligible for free flu jabs in England under the autumn Covid-19 booster programme, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced. "The flu virus could also be highly infectious at this time of year, so I am also announcing that those eligible for a free flu vaccination this year will include everyone aged 50 and over, primary school children and secondary school pupils in years 7, 8 and 9, as well as people in clinical risk groups, unpaid carers and household contacts of those who are immunosuppressed," said new health secretary Steve Barclay. Commenting on the DHSC's announcement, CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison said: "We welcome the decision to accept the advice of the JCVI on who can have free Covid-19 boosters and flu jabs this autumn. Community pharmacies have turbo-charged the Covid-19 vaccination programme over the past 18 months and last year we witnessed the most successful community pharmacy flu campaign ever."

Lord Markham, a health minister suggested the House of Lords on Tuesday (10 January) that plan of 'using pharmacies more for patient will put funding their way', just like allocation of Covid vaccine provided support. In a statement to the House of Lords he praised the sector saying they are a 'crucial part of the front line'. His statement was in response to a question from Lord Grade, who is campaigning on behalf of the community pharmacy sector. Lord Grade warned Government that it must take action before pharmacies start to close. On Monday (9 January) the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay MP, commented: "There are many more things that community pharmacists can support with that can ease pressure on General Practice. The Primary Care recovery plan will set out a range of additional services that Community Pharmacy can deliver."

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched new guidance to highlight the latest safety advice on the steps to take during anaphylaxis. On the start of World Allergy Week (19 June), an annual initiative led by the World Allergy Organization, aiming to raise awareness of allergies, their management and prevention, the MHRA has collaborated with allergy awareness advocates to share an easy step-by-step infographic guide and video outlining the latest advice from the CHM's working group on the safe and effective use of AAIs. Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said: "A severe allergic reaction can be life-threatening. One in five people in the UK suffer with at least one allergy, so it's vital people are equipped with the knowledge to keep themselves safe. Adrenaline auto-injectors - also known as AAIs or by their brand names such as EpiPen - are highly effective and convenient for the immediate treatment of anaphylaxis. If you have been prescribed one, please carry it with you at all times and make sure you are up to date on the latest safety guidance - it could save your life."