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Inspired by this piece on former health secretaries, I& #39;ve been digging into @instituteforgov& #39;s #MinistersReflect archive to hear what those who& #39;ve held one of the most difficult jobs in govt have said about it... https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/17/whod-be-a-health-secretary-five-former-incumbents-on-the-toughest-gig-in-politics">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/...
First up, Ken Clarke told us how the job can be seen as a poisoned chalice - and how difficult it can be to get things done...
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/kenneth-clarke/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/kenneth-clarke/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
Jeremy Hunt, now scrutinising the govt as chair of the health select committee, was formerly the longest-serving health sec who had his own run-ins with the sector. He reflected on the importance of managing relationships...
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/jeremy-hunt/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/jeremy-hunt/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
There has been a lot of talk about how the different parts of public health provision work together - even in Alan Johnson& #39;s day 15 years ago, there were challenges:
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/alan-johnson/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/alan-johnson/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
(PS - interested in what exactly Public Health England does and who it reports to? The @instituteforgov has an explainer for that, of course!) https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/public-health-england">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer...
Patricia Hewitt told us how any health sec will spend a lot of time in parliament, even when there isn& #39;t a global health crisis happening
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/patricia-hewitt/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/patricia-hewitt/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
Her shadow, Andrew Lansley, of course went on to make major reforms at the start of the coalition government - which formally moved much of the operational control of the NHS from the Dept of Health to NHS England. But as his successor told us...
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/jeremy-hunt/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/person/jeremy-hunt/">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
For more ministerial reflections on working at the Department of Health, take a look at our interviews here: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/?select-department%5B0%5D=department-of-health&hidden-sort-by=nameaz&hidden-current-page=1">https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers...
