29/07/2026
It is an enormous privilege to have been appointed by the Prime Minister to serve as Minister for Health at the Department of Health and Social Care.
As the MP for Bury North, I’ve seen both the very best of our NHS and social care, and the challenges they face. I’ve campaigned alongside local people to reduce waiting times, tackle the health inequalities that still exist between our communities, protect local services including our walk-in centre, and champion the extraordinary work of our hospices and those providing end of life care. Those experiences have shaped my understanding of what matters most.
In government, I’ve also had the opportunity to lead work on digital public services and the responsible adoption of technology across government. I believe there is a huge opportunity to apply that experience to health and care: making services simpler to access, giving staff better tools, embracing AI responsibly, and designing services around patients rather than institutions.
Health is about far more than hospitals. It is about prevention as well as treatment, social care alongside the NHS, supporting those with specialist and often overlooked conditions, and ensuring that where you live should never determine the care you receive.
I’m under no illusion about the scale of the challenge ahead. But I also know what our NHS, our care workforce, our volunteers and our communities achieve every day, often in the most difficult circumstances.
I’m grateful to the Prime Minister and to the Secretary of State, Rt Hon. Yvette Cooper MP, for this opportunity to serve. I look forward to working with colleagues across government, the NHS, local government, charities, clinicians and patients to build a healthier, fairer Britain.
As ever, the people of Bury North remain at the heart of everything I do. They have entrusted me to represent them, and I will continue to be their voice while serving in government.
Now, it’s time to get to work.
