Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Corresponding to what is generally known as a health minister in many other countries, the health and social care secretary's remit includes the following: • oversight of England's National Health Service, including: • delivery of care • performance • fiscal consolidation • financial management • matters concerning England's social care policy (although responsibility is shared with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding adult social care, and with the Department for Education concerning children's social care). • matters concerning England's national public health. • relations with international health partnerships, including the WHO. Some functions are derived from legislation, for example when the position of Secretary of State for Health was established in 1988, specific functions were allocated to the post-holder drawn from the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1926, the Therapeutic Substances Act 1956, the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960(26), the National Health Service Act 1966, the Radiological Protection Act 1970, the Child Care Act 1980 and the Food Act 1984. ==History==

The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in the Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848, a General Board of Health was established with lay members in leadership roles and the first commissioner of woods and forests as its president. In 1854, this board was reconstituted, and the president was appointed separately. However, the board was abolished in 1858, and its function of overseeing local boards was transferred to a new Local Government Act Office within the Home Office. From 1871, that function was transferred to the new Local Government Board. The Ministry of Health was created by the Ministry of Health Act 1919 as a reconstruction of the Local Government Board. Local government functions were eventually transferred to the minister of housing and local government, leaving the Health Ministry in charge of health matters. From 1968, it was amalgamated with the Ministry of Social Security under the secretary of state for social services, until the de-merger of the Department of Health and Social Security on 25 July 1988. Since devolution in 1999, the position holder's responsibility for the NHS is mainly restricted to the health service in England, while the holders' counterparts in Scotland and Wales are responsible for the NHS in Scotland and Wales. Prior to devolution, the secretaries of state for Scotland and Wales had those respective responsibilities, but the Department of Health played a larger role than it does now in the coordination of health policy across Great Britain. Health services in Northern Ireland have always had separate arrangements from the rest of the UK and are currently the responsibility of the health minister in the Northern Ireland Executive. In 2018 the position was incorporated as a corporation sole. A small number of health issues remain reserved matters, meaning they are not devolved. According to Jeremy Hunt, the department receives more letters than any other government department, and there are 50 officials in the correspondence unit. ==List of ministers==

Colour key (for political parties): President of the Board of Health (1848–1858) Minister of Health (1919–1968) Secretary of State for Social Services (1968–1988) Secretary of State for Health (1988–2018) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (2018–present) == Timeline ==