N E W S & O P N I O N

B L O G S Ones to watch: Healthcare champions in the new Parliament

Gabriel Gavin

MHP has identified 26 new Members of Parliament with a background in science, health or social care

The decisive General Election result was unexpected and its implications will be far- reaching. Health, and particularly the pharmaceutical industry, is one of many areas in which this Parliament will be radically different in its approach to the last.

Across the House of Commons, established healthcare advocates have stepped down or lost their seats, to be replaced by a new generation of MPs, many of whom have interests or experience in the field and will be worth keeping an eye on.

The loss of expertise includes a number of high-profile champions of healthcare issues, including Dr Sarah Wollaston, the former Conservative Chair of the Health Committee, who was re-standing in Totnes as a Liberal Democrat. Nic Dakin, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer was another casualty, losing his Scunthorpe seat as the collapse of Labour’s ‘Red Wall’ became a defining characteristic of the election.

Additionally, a number of MPs across all parties chose to stand down ahead of the election, including social care champion and former Science and Technology Select Committee Chair Norman Lamb, and former pharmaceutical Government Affairs professional Owen Smith. Over the coming weeks, elections for the Chairs of Select Committees will take place and their membership will be confirmed. This process is normally a prompt one: in 2017 the new Chairs were installed by 12 July – five weeks after polling day. In this period, All Party Parliamentary Groups will also begin to re-form with a new membership. It is also expected that Prime Minister will announce a more extensive restructure of Whitehall and an associated reshuffle of his ministerial team following the UK’s scheduled departure from the European Union on 31st January

With the impasse over coming to an end, for the time being at least, there is an expectation that a broader focus on public policy will resume. Given the prominence of the NHS in the recent election campaign, alongside the impact of a free trade arrangement on the system, healthcare is set to remain the top domestic political issue.

The Government’s Commons majority makes legislation on healthcare more likely to be considered and passed. Unlike the Minority Government, where legislative healthcare reform was delayed, December’s Queen’s Speech contained five bills within health and social care, with the most significant proposals proposed by NHS still to come.

This also means that the individual contributions of parliamentarians are likely to be more significant and impactful, whereas in the past the centre of power lay between the Department and NHS England.

A number of incoming MPs are likely to shape the debate, drawing upon their relevant experience from healthcare practice, policy and campaigning.

In the downloadable briefing below, we have set out a number of people we believe will be of interest from the new intake, based on their previous experience:

Shape of things to come (PDF 4.19 MB)

The 26 MPs identified are listed below, with more information on their background and areas of interest available in the briefing:

Caroline Ansell Conservative, Former MP with a focus on healthcare issues

Sarah Atherton Conservative, Qualified nurse with stated interest in mental health and social care

Paula Barker Labour, Wavertree UNISON trade union organiser with a focus on NHS staff

Olivia Blake Labour, Sheffield Hallam NHS England employee and Non-Executive Director of a Foundation Trust

Paul Bristow Conservative, Peterborough Life sciences Government Affairs professional

Anthony Browne Conservative, South Cambridgeshire Former Health Editor of

Amy Callaghan SNP, East Dunbartonshire Diagnosed with skin cancer at a young age, has worked with cancer charities

Feryal Clark Labour, Enfield North Bioinformatician working in diagnostic virology

Elliot Colburn Conservative, Carshalton and Wallington Former Public Affairs Officer for NHS England

Virginia Crosbie Conservative, Ynys Môn Life sciences financial analyst with experience working in pharmaceuticals

Dr James Davies Conservative, Vale of Clwyd Practicing GP with specialism in dementia

Dr Conservative, Bosworth Practising GP and Conservative Policy Forum Health Champion

Katherine Fletcher Conservative, Former nursing assistant in a care home

Anthony Higginbotham Conservative, Burnley Former NHS employee

Dr Conservative, Penrith and the Border Practicing veterinarian

Ian Levy Conservative, Northumberland Former NHS worker focusing on mental healthcare

Carla Lockhart DUP, Upper Bann Member of the Legislative Assembly with strong interest in healthcare

Dr Keiran Mullan Conservative, Crewe and Nantwich Emergency medicine doctor with experience working on healthcare reforms

Taiwo Owatemi Labour, Coventry North West Senior Oncology Pharmacist specialising in cancer and palliative care

Sarah Owen Labour, Luton North GMB trade union organiser with an interest in healthcare

Dean Russell Conservative, Strategic consultant in healthcare

Amanda Solloway Conservative, North Former MP with a focus on healthcare issues

Dr Conservative, Runnymede and Weybridge Consultant Psychiatrist and Vice Chair of Conservative Health Group

Munira Wilson Liberal Democrat, Twickenham Former Corporate Affairs Director at a global pharmaceutical company

Tags mhp health / health policy / / / / general election 2019

R E L A T E D

B L O G S B L O G S B L O G S New decade, new hope… Where next for the Where next for the Labour Frances Neilson Conservative Party? Party? Amy Fisher Thomas Messenger

[email protected]

Follow us