The King's Fund Statement On The Appointment Of A New Secretary Of State For Health

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 08 Jun 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Commenting on the appointment of Andy Burnham as the new Secretary of State for Health, The King's Fund chief executive, Niall Dickson, said:

'It is frustrating to have another change at the top when Alan Johnson had been in post for less than two years. This move has nothing to do with what is best for the health service.

'However, if a change had to be made we welcome the choice of Andy Burnham. He has experience of the health system both as a minister and in his earlier career and he has shown he is committed to the NHS and to reform.

'Like the health service, the new Secretary of State faces major challenges. First, in the next couple of weeks he will have to deliver on the promise of a green paper on the funding of social care. This is a matter that affects millions of elderly and disabled people and it must point the way forward to a fair and enduring solution as the current system is broken.

'Second, the government must maintain the momentum of reform. It has made quality of care its number one priority - now as the NHS heads towards an era of low or zero growth it is essential that that focus on quality is maintained while doing everything possible to drive efficiency and productivity.

'One thing we do know for certain is that demand for health care will rise, which means that the next two years will be a critical time when managers, doctors and nurses need to come together to redesign the way services are run. A test of the new Secretary of State will be his ability to display strong leadership by supporting those who have to make these difficult decisions at local level.'

Source
The King's Fund