The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7400 p555
13 May 2006

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News summary

New minister for pharmacy following Kennedy's resignation

Andy Burnham, the newly appointed Minister of State for Delivery and Quality at the Department of Health will be responsible for pharmacy. Mr Burnham has taken over the portfolio of Jane Kennedy, who has resigned.

The new minister’s other responsibilities will include standards, inspection and performance, patient safety including responsibility for 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.

Mr Burnham’s previous Government experience was as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality at the Home Office from May 2005 to May 2006. He is MP for Leigh, Lancashire.

He is the eighth minister to have responsibility for pharmacy affairs since the Labour Party came to power in 1997.