Conservative MP Maria Caulfield has been named the new minister for public health and primary care as part of Boris Johnson’s recent cabinet reshuffle.
Maggie Throup MP has also been appointed as the new minister for vaccines and public health.
Their appointments follow the Prime Minister’s second cabinet reshuffle of his majority government.
Ms Caulfield is currently Conservative MP for Lewes, and was previously vice chair of the Conservative Party for women, and assistant Government whip.
She replaces Jo Churchill MP, who moved to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
Ms Caulfield, who grew up in Wandsworth, was elected as an MP for Lewes in May 2015.
Before entering politics, she worked as a NHS cancer nurse, and chose to return to frontline nursing in March 2020 to help tackle the Covid pandemic.
Health secretary Sajid Javid welcomed Ms Caulfield to his team at the Department of Health and Social Care.
As well as primary care, her new role will include responsibility for community health, major diseases including long Covid, patient safety, maternity care, inquiries, patient experience cosmetic regulation, gender identity services, blood transplants and organ donation and fertility and embryology.
Ms Throup, the new Parliamentary under-secretary of state for vaccines and public health, will assume authority over vaccine deployment after Nadhim Zahawi was promoted to the Cabinet.
Alongside Covid vaccines, she will be the lead minister for crisis response, and in charge of health improvement, levelling up, prevention, immunisation and screening, Test and Trace, abortion and global health security.
Ms Throup, who grew up in West Yorkshire, has been a Conservative MP for Erewash since May 2015, and was previously a Government whip.
Prior to politics, she worked as a biomedical scientist and pharmaceutical company director.
She said she ‘can’t wait to get stuck into’ her new role, rolling out the Covid vaccine booster programme and supporting the Government to ‘deliver lasting reforms to health and social care’.
Honoured to have been appointed Public Health Minister @DHSCgovuk at such a critical moment for our Country as we begin the huge task of building back better from the pandemic. Related Articles
