Posted 13 November 2023 - 15:25
Posted 13 November 2023 - 15:25
News
Barclay removed as health secretary, replaced by Victoria Atkins
As Steve Barclay is moved to environment secretary, priorities for Ms Atkins are seen as getting NHS the extra funding it needs and resolving industrial action
As Steve Barclay is moved to environment secretary, priorities for Ms Atkins are seen as getting NHS the extra funding it needs and resolving industrial action
Steve Barclay was removed as health and social care secretary on Monday as prime minister Rishi Sunak carried out a major cabinet reshuffle.
He was replaced by Victoria Atkins, who previously served as financial secretary to the treasury and is MP for Louth and Horncastle in Lincolnshire.
Mr Barclay confirmed as he left Downing Street that he has been appointed environment secretary.
Barclay will be remembered for his tough stance on pay during historic strike action by nurses
His time as health secretary will be remembered for his tough stance on pay during historic strike action by nurses in the past 12 months. Hours before his demotion, colleague Will Quince MP quit his role as health minister and announced he would be stepping down at the next election.
Mr Barclay follows in the footsteps of predecessor Thérèse Coffey MP, who left the Department of Health and Social Care for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in September 2022.
Mr Barclay had two stints as health secretary after initially replacing Sajid Javid MP, after Mr Javid resigned in protest at Boris Johnson’s government following party-gate revelations. He was briefly replaced with Ms Coffey by Liz Truss, who was prime minister for just 49 days.
RCN chief nurse Nicola Ranger, responding to the appointment of Victoria Atkins as health secretary, said her first priority must be ‘to get the NHS the extra funding it needs in next week’s Autumn Statement.’
‘The current financial settlement is penalising patients – those on waiting lists are being told to wait even longer in a cash-strapped NHS. The workforce plan she inherits is a big picture vision that needs sizeable and rapid investment to make happen,’ said professor Ranger.
NHS trust leaders will welcome the change, says head of NHS Providers
‘In the past year the issues that nursing staff have campaigned on have not gone away. Intolerable pressures at work, real-terms pay cuts and chronic staff shortages all remain. We expect the new health secretary to engage nursing staff in her plans and deliver long-term investment for a sustainable future.’
NHS Providers chief executive Sir Julian Hartley, responding to the appointment of Ms Atkins, said trust leaders would welcome the change.
‘This change comes at a critical juncture for the sector, which faces unprecedented challenges,’ he said.
‘Top of the agenda is the resolution to ongoing industrial action. The cumulative impact of strikes on patients, staff and the NHS cannot be understated. Constructive dialogue between the government and unions is key to finding a sustainable solution.
‘Ahead of the Autumn Statement we urge her to ensure sufficient capital investment in deteriorating NHS facilities and equipment. This is vital for the sustainability and modernisation of health services.’
Biggest challenge for Ms Atkins is to fix the crisis in social care, says Unison
Unison’s acting head of health Helga Pile said the new health secretary needed to get pay talks into the diary as soon as possible.
She added: ‘Steve Barclay couldn't solve the many problems affecting services and patients. The new health secretary has certainly got her work cut out.
‘Perhaps the biggest challenge, though, is to start what all her predecessors have failed to do and fix the crisis in social care. Once that begins to be tackled, the pressures on the NHS and its staff will start to lift.’
The reshuffle began with the sacking Suella Braverman as home secretary on Monday morning.
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