| Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing of Wales | |
|---|---|
| Y Gweinidog Iechyd Meddwl a Llesiant (Welsh) | |
| | |
| Welsh Government | |
| Style | Welsh Minister |
| Status | Minister |
| Abbreviation | Minister |
| Member of | Senedd |
| Reports to | the Senedd, the First Minister of Wales and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care |
| Seat | Cardiff |
| Nominator | First Minister of Wales |
| Appointer | The Crown |
| Term length | Five years Subject to elections to the Senedd which take place every five years |
| First holder | Eluned Morgan AM |
| Website | gov |
The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing (Welsh : Y Gweinidog Iechyd Meddwl a Llesiant) is a minister of the Welsh Government, accountable to the cabinet secretary for health and social care. Established as a cabinet position in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, it was moved to a junior position in 2021. The current officeholder is Sarah Murphy since July 2024.
| Name | Picture | Entered office | Left office | Other offices held | Political party | Government | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and the Welsh Language | ||||||||
| Eluned Morgan | | 8 October 2020 (during COVID) [1] | 13 May 2021 | Accountable to Minister for Health and Social Services [2] | Labour | First Drakeford government | [1] | |
| Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing | ||||||||
| Lynne Neagle | | 13 May 2021 | 20 March 2024 | Labour | Second Drakeford government | [3] | ||
| Minister for Mental Health and Early Years | ||||||||
| Jayne Bryant | | 21 March 2024 | 17 July 2024 | Labour | Gething government | [4] | ||
| Sarah Murphy | | 17 July 2024 | 11 September 2024 | Labour | Gething government | [5] | ||
| Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing | ||||||||
| Sarah Murphy | | 11 September 2024 | Incumbent | Labour | Eluned Morgan government | [6] | ||
When the post was created as a cabinet post in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, its responsibilities were stated to include at the time to be; mental health services, patient experience, substance misuse, dementia, veterans' health, and the obesity strategy of Wales. [7]
Since becoming a junior post in 2021, the responsibilities of the post are: [3]
The post-holder launched the "National Framework for Social Prescribing" in December 2023, aiming for the consistent delivery of social prescribing. [8] [9] The post-holder also announced in 2023, funding arrangements for Trading Standards Wales, concerning illegal electronic cigarettes, [10] and online therapy services overseen by Powys Teaching Health Board in 2022. [11]