What is new health secretary Matt Hancock's voting record on the NHS?

by Grace Lewis

10/07/2018

6 comments

News

Mr Hancock replaced Jeremy Hunt as health secretary last night (Credit: CC BY 3.0)

New health and social care secretary Matt Hancock was in favour of the pharmacy funding cuts and has repeatedly voted to give GPs more commissioning power.

Mr Hancock – who was appointed secretary of state for health and social care last night (July 9) – has consistently voted to reform the NHS to allow GPs to buy services on behalf of their patients, according to theyworkforyou.com.

Mr Hancock voted for NHS reforms proposed in the 2012 Health and Social Care Bill, including giving more power to "consortia" of GPs to commission health services, strengthening regulator the Care Quality Commission, and abolishing primary care trusts.

The new health secretary also voted in 2012 to remove the 49% “private patient income cap" – the restriction on the amount of income a NHS foundation trust can earn from private charges.

Mr Hancock was among the 305 MPs who voted in favour of cutting pharmacy funding in England, following a parliamentary debate in November 2016. Only one Conservative MP voted against the cuts.

Mr Hancock also campaigned alongside his former boss George Osborne to remain in the European Union.

Result

How are you feeling about community pharmacy’s future now Matt Hancock has replaced Jeremy Hunt as health secretary?

Optimistic

Pessimistic

44%

Too early to tell

47%

Total votes: 172

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6 Comments

Question:

What do you make of Matt Hancock's appointment?

Disillusioned Sussex chic, Dispenser Manager/ Dispensing Assistant

Posted on Fri, 13/07/2018 - 20:20

Maybe the new health secretary will surprise us all? Think so? I don't! He should pay visits to the more rural hospitals, pharmacies and doctors surgeries and ask his own questions, then do some homework and fight for the rights of the people to have a brilliant NHS. Stop selling things off and stop wasting money on stupid things. We never see the FULL financial report do we? Well we should.

david williams, Community pharmacist

Posted on Tue, 10/07/2018 - 23:42

I matters not who is in the role, but what party are in government. The conservative party are on record as a "low tax, low welfare state" party. Last time I checked, the NHS was part of the welfare state????????????

Margaret Hook, Superintendent Pharmacist

Posted on Tue, 10/07/2018 - 22:42

What the government fails to recognise is that GP practices are private companies and yet all their staff receive NHS pensions worth ££££££ of tax payers money where as community Pharmacists are working for the NHS but without NHS pension eligibility so if they are able to sell their business it is still nowhere near an equivalent benefit.