Jeremy Hunt's biggest priority is 'to transform care outside hospitals'

Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed that Jeremy Hunt will continue as Secretary of State for Health.

Mr Hunt, who has been in the post for over two and a half years, said he was “humbled to be reappointed Health Secretary, not least because of the enormous responsibility for hundreds of thousands of doctors, nurses and other NHS staff who are working incredibly hard right now and under enormous pressure”.

He revealed that his “biggest priority now is to transform care outside hospitals - just as we have dramatically improved the quality of care inside hospitals in the last few years.

“All of us want every single older and vulnerable person to be treated with the highest standards of care - so we need a step change in services offered through GP surgeries, community care and social care. That is my mission, and I know it is the mission of the whole NHS too.”

King's Fund

Chris Ham, chief executive of The King’s Fund welcomed the reappointment saying it “will bring some welcome continuity as the NHS enters one of the most challenging periods in its history. It is also an opportunity to continue the work on safety and quality of care he started in the wake of the Francis report”.

He said Mr Hunt’s “first priority must be to plug the growing black hole in NHS finances by securing additional funding for the current financial year. This should go hand-in-hand with a renewed drive to improve productivity to ensure the NHS is playing its part in responding to the pressures it is facing”.

Mr Ham wants to see the Government putting the NHS on a sustainable financial footing for the rest of the parliament.

He added: “The additional £8bn a year by 2020 pledged in the Conservative manifesto is welcome but is the bare minimum needed to maintain standards of care and will not pay for new initiatives such as seven-day working. More money will also be needed for social care.

‘In the long term, as the Barker Commission recommended, a new settlement is needed for health and social care which ends the historic divide between the two systems.”

Alzheimer's Society

In the wake of the announcement, George McNamara, head of policy and public affairs at Alzheimer’s Society, called on Jeremy Hunt to “make it a priority to turn the Prime Minister’s challenge on dementia 2020 into a reality. He needs to deliver the transformational change in dementia care that elderly people and their families so desperately need”.

He added: “We are calling on the new Conservative government to ramp up funding for social care of older people. Integration, the buzz word of the last parliament, must be realised to ensure people with dementia are better supported in their local communities. Over the next five years we must stop seeing people with dementia fall between the twin stools of health and social care.”

Independent Age

Janet Morrison, chief executive at Independent Age, also welcomed the reappointment of Jeremy Hunt as Secretary of State for Health, saying: “As he is only too well aware, older people are the greatest users of the NHS and by 2020, 19 per cent of the population will be over 65. The Health Secretary needs urgently to address the root causes of problems, such as the winter A and E crisis.

“This will not be easily achieved within a tight spending framework, even allowing for the additional £8 billion of health spending promised by the Conservative party manifesto.

“Continued integration of health and social care may help deliver some of the demanded £22 billion savings from the NHS budget assumed by its five year plan, but the Health Secretary will need to immediately address the fundamental question of what to do if – as seems likely - the savings expected of the NHS are not achievable. Such a situation will require re-examination of more radical options, such as those proposed by the Barker Commission.”

National Voices

Jeremy Taylor, chief executive of National Voices, the health and social care charity coalition, is also in favour of Mr Hunt’s reappointment, saying: “Jeremy Hunt brought a much needed focus on the safety and quality of care in the last Government. We congratulate him on his re-appointment and look forward to continuing to help him and his colleagues focus on the things that most matter to patients, service users, families and carers.

He voiced concern that little was said by the Conservative Party pre-election concerning the future funding of social care, adding: “This now needs to be addressed urgently. Further cuts to social care, and cuts to people’s support from benefits, could have a damaging impact on people’s health, further escalating demands on the NHS.”

Acting Labour party leader Harriet Harman has confirmed that Andy Burnham will remain as shadow health secretary.