Steve Brine, MP for Winchester, has been appointed pharmacy minister, it has been confirmed. Mr Brine replaces David Mowat, who lost his seat in the recent general election.

He has been Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health since 2015 and was previously Assistant Government Whip. Before becoming an MP he was a radio journalist with the BBC and also worked for a leading business consultancy firm.

Health team

This follows the news of Jeremy Hunt’s reappointment as Secretary of State for Health. P3 reported last week on Mr Hunt’s pledge to meet with pharmacists on his plans for their future role.

PSNC’s Sue Sharpe commented on the news of Hunt’s re-appointment: “Now that Jeremy Hunt has been given the opportunity to re-engage with those who work in the health and care system, we hope that he will take the time to reflect on the benefits of using pharmacy to help in the crisis confronting the NHS and seek to work differently with the sector going forward. PSNC will want to meet with Mr Hunt and the health minister responsible for pharmacy at the earliest opportunity, to ensure they develop policies that develop the community pharmacy service.”

PSNC described Mr Brine is a long-term Conservative activist who has served as Jeremy Hunt's Parliamentary Private Secretary. He has also previously worked alongside the Minister of State for Disabled People, but his most recent role as an Assistant Whip rendered him unable to participate in debates during the past year.

Sue Sharpe commented: "PSNC will write to welcome the minister to his new role and we look forward to meeting him at the earliest opportunity to discuss how we can work together to deliver the Government's aim to develop a stronger clinical role for community pharmacy, and address the damage and threats we have faced in the last year."

Also appointed junior minister for health was Jackie Doyle-Price, MP for Thurrock. She is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health and was previously Assistant Government Whip and served on the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee for four years. Prior to becoming an MP she was Private Secretary to the Mayor of the City of London and worked for Sheffield Enterprise Agency and South Yorkshire Police. Her responsibilities are to be confirmed.

Remaining in the health department are Philip Dunne MP and Lord O’Shaughnessy.

Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, is Minister of State for Health. He has been in the department since 2016 and was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement. He will lead on health policy areas such as hospital productivity, patient safety, professional regulation and healthcare quality regulation, patient experience, health visiting and maternity care. He is ministerial lead for the Care Quality Commission, Health Education England and NHS Improvement.

Lord O’Shaughnessy is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health. He has been in the department since 2016, and his responsibilities in the health department include leaving the EU, medicines and industry, NHS procurement, reducing clinical variation and prescription charging. He is ministerial lead for the NHS Business Services Authority and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.