Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy

Last updated
United Kingdom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
Incumbent
Gillian Merron
since 5 July 2024
Department of Health and Social Care
Nominator Prime Minister
AppointerThe Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
Term length At His Majesty's pleasure
Website www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--197

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy is a ministerial position within the Government of the United Kingdom, in charge of mental health and women's health policy. [1]

Contents

History

Following the general election in June 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Jackie Doyle-Price as the UK's first minister with responsibility for mental health. The portfolio was further expanded in October 2018, on World Mental Health Day, to include suicide prevention. This occurred while the UK government hosted the first ever global mental health summit. [2]

In July 2019, Nadine Dorries was appointed to the position in the incoming Johnson ministry, with additional responsibility for patient safety. [3] [4] As minister, Dorries assumed responsibility for the government's response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's mental health. [5] The minister committed to an increase in government spending on mental health as a result of the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. [6] In May 2020, the position was raised from Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to Minister of State. [7]

During the cabinet reshuffle in September 2021, Gillian Keegan was appointed Minister of State for Care and Mental Health, a position which combined with the mental health and social care portfolios. [8] In June 2022, the department published the Draft Mental Health Bill, stating the government's intention to modernise the existing Mental Health Act 1983. [9]

In September 2022, the incoming Truss ministry divided the mental health and care portfolios and appointed Caroline Johnson to the former, with responsibility for mental health and public health. Dr Johnson's tenure was unusually short, due to the collapse of the government in the following month. In October 2022, Maria Caulfield was appointed and given responsibility for mental health and women's health in the Sunak ministry.

Responsibilities

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy leads on the following: [1]

List of ministers

NamePortraitTook officeLeft officeLength of TermPolitical partyPrime Minister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention [lower-alpha 1] [11]
Jackie Doyle-Price
MP for Thurrock
Official portrait of Jackie Doyle-Price MP crop 2.jpg 14 June 201727 July 20192 years, 43 days Conservative Theresa May
Minister of State for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health [lower-alpha 2] [3]
Nadine Dorries
MP for Mid Bedfordshire
Official portrait of Ms Nadine Dorries crop 2.jpg 27 July 201915 September 20212 years, 50 days Conservative Boris Johnson
Minister of State for Care and Mental Health [13]
Gillian Keegan
MP for Chichester
Official portrait of Gillian Keegan MP crop 2.jpg 16 September 20218 September 2022357 days Conservative Boris Johnson
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Public Health [14]
Caroline Johnson
MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham
Official portrait of Dr Caroline Johnson MP crop 2.jpg 8 September 202227 October 202249 days Conservative Liz Truss
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy [1]
Maria Caulfield
MP for Lewes
Official portrait of Maria Caulfield crop 2.jpg 27 October 20225 July 20242 years, 5 days Conservative Rishi Sunak

See also

Notes

  1. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Inequalities (2017–2018) [10]
  2. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health (2019–2020) [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliamentary under-secretary of state</span> Junior minister in the government of the United Kingdom

The parliamentary under-secretary of state is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the UK government, immediately junior to a Minister of State, which is itself junior to a Secretary of State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Gwynne</span> British politician (born 1974)

Andrew John Gwynne is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Gorton and Denton, previously Denton and Reddish, since 2005. He was Shadow Minister for Social Care from 2023 to the 2024 election. He is currently serving as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Health (New Zealand)</span> New Zealand government ministry

The Ministry of Health is the public service department of New Zealand responsible for healthcare in New Zealand. It came into existence in its current form in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister for Health and Aged Care</span> Australian cabinet position

The Minister for Health and Aged Care is the position in the Australian cabinet responsible for national health and wellbeing and medical research. The incumbent Minister is Labor MP Mark Butler.

The Health and Social Care Select Committee is a Departmental Select Committee of the British House of Commons, the lower house of the United Kingdom Parliament. Its remit is to examine the policy, administration and expenditure of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and its associated agencies and public bodies. The Clerks of the Committee are Previn Desai and Joanna Dodd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (Scotland)</span> Cabinet position in the Scottish Government

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, commonly referred to as the Health Secretary, is a cabinet position in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for the Health and Social Care Directorates and NHS Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Stephenson</span> British politician (born 1981)

Andrew George Stephenson FRSA is a former British politician who most recently served as Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care from November 2023 to July 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pendle in Lancashire from 2010 until 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide in the United Kingdom</span> Statistics and causes of suicide in the UK

Suicide is a significant national social issue in the United Kingdom. In 2022 there were 5,642 registered deaths by suicide in England and Wales, equating to an average of 15 suicides per day. 74.1% of suicides in England and Wales in 2022 were males. In Scotland there were 762 probable suicides in 2022, equating to an average of 2 suicides per day. In Northern Ireland there were 203 suicide deaths registered in 2022. Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK.

Gabrielle Leigh Williams is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 2014, representing the electorate of Dandenong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Caulfield</span> British politician (born 1973)

Maria Colette Caulfield is a former British politician. She served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women from October 2022 to July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Keegan</span> British politician (born 1968)

Gillian Keegan is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Education from 2022 to 2024. She previously served as Minister of State for Care and Mental Health from 2021 to 2022, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa from September to October 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, Keegan served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chichester from 2017 to 2024.

Mental health in the United Kingdom involves state, private and community sector intervention in mental health issues. One of the first countries to build asylums, the United Kingdom was also one of the first countries to turn away from them as the primary mode of treatment for the mentally ill. The 1960s onwards saw a shift towards Care in the Community, which is a form of deinstitutionalisation. The majority of mental health care is now provided by the National Health Service (NHS), assisted by the private and the voluntary sectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Health Security Agency</span> Executive agency in UK health system

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a government agency in the United Kingdom, responsible since April 2021 for England-wide public health protection and infectious disease capability and replacing Public Health England. It is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine Taskforce</span> Non-departmental body coordinating efforts to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine

The Vaccine Taskforce in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was set up in April 2020 by the Second Johnson ministry, in collaboration with Chief Scientific Advisor Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, in order to facilitate the path towards the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK and its global distribution. The taskforce coordinated the research efforts of government with industry, academics and funding agencies in order to expedite vaccine development and deployment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister of state (United Kingdom)</span> Member of the British government

A minister of state is a mid-tier minister of the Crown in the UK government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister of Mental Health</span>

Ministers of Mental Health are specific Government Ministers with a responsibility over mental health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention</span> Junior office of the British government

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention is a position in the Department of Health and Social Care in the Government of the United Kingdom. The role has previously been known as the Minister of State for Public Health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister of State for Care and Mental Health</span> UK government position

The Minister of State for Care and Mental Health was a ministerial position within the Government of the United Kingdom, in charge of mental health and social care policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing</span> Welsh Government minister

The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing 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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  2. "World Mental Health Day: PM appoints suicide prevention minister". BBC News. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  3. 1 2 "Minister of State (Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  4. Shepherd, James (29 July 2017). "New health ministers appointed by incoming prime minister". Nursing Times. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  5. "Mental Health Minister hears from people with mental health problems affected by pandemic". www.mind.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  6. Wallace, William (26 February 2021). "The UK mental health crisis coming in Covid's wake". Financial times . Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  7. Dorries, Nadine (5 May 2020). "Honoured and thrilled to have been promoted today by BorisJohnson to Minister of State at DHSCgovuk where we are all working together in the battle against COVID19 Inthistogether StayHomeSaveLives". Twitter. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  8. Channel, FE News: The Future of Education News (16 September 2021). "Gillian Keegan moves on from Apprenticeships and Skills Minister to Department of Health and Social Care in Gov #reshuffle". FE News. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  9. "Draft Mental Health Bill 2022 - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  10. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health and Inequalities - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  11. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  12. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  13. "Minister of State (Minister for Care and Mental Health) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  14. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-03.