Health responsibilities reconfigured as new minister given pharmacy
Jane Kennedy takes over from Rosie Winterton |
Jane Kennedy, the newly appointed Minister of State for quality and patient safety has been given the pharmacy portfolio previously assigned to Rosie Winterton.
Ms Kennedy’s other responsibilities include standards, inspection
and performance, patient safety including the National Patient Safety
Agency, clinical governance and quality issues, clinical negligence,
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, reducing bureaucracy, the
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, genetics, the
Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency and medicines, the pharmaceutical industry,
research and development, counter fraud and departmental management.
Although Ms Kennedy is responsible for pharmacy, other ministers’ responsibilities
will overlap to some extent. For example, Ms Winterton’s new portfolio
as Minister of State for health services includes prison health care,
which has become an NHS function in which primary care trusts have a
role. Her other responsibilities are for international and EU business,
emergency preparedness, cancer services, cardiac services, diabetes services,
mental health, dentistry, patient and public involvement, renal services
and equality and diversity issues.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s President has written to the
Secretary of State and to the new pharmacy minister to introduce the
Society and to outline the profession’s key concerns for the immediate
future.
Director of public affairs and communications Beverley Parkin said: “The
Society established an excellent working relationship with its ministers
in the last Government. We shall be working hard to ensure that the profession
continues to have the ear of the new Government as we go forward.”
Sue Sharpe, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee chief executive,
commented: “We had an immensely good relationship with Rosie Winterton.
She really did see the potential of community pharmacy and worked with
us and she was a tremendous supporter of community pharmacy. At the moment
we don’t know Jane Kennedy. We’ve written to her to welcome
her to her new post and we’ll seek an early meeting with her.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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