What’s happened 

The government has announced new ministerial appointments in the Department for Health and Social Care following Yvette Cooper's confirmation as Health Secretary and Andy Burnham's appointment as Prime Minister. 

• Alison McGovern MP has been appointed Minister of State.  

• James Frith MP has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. 

• Baroness Merron remains Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.  

• The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP has been appointed Minister of State.  

• Karin Smyth MP has been re-appointed Minister of State. 

Why this matters to members 

The Royal College of Podiatry works with ministers and parliamentarians across all four UK nations to promote the profession and influence health policy. 

The College supports podiatrists and their patients by making the case for policies that improve foot health services, workforce development and patient care. 

The College has already written to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and will now begin engaging with the wider ministerial team following these appointments. 

What happens next 

The Department of Health and Social Care has said it will announce ministers' individual portfolios shortly. The New Podiatrist will provide an update once these responsibilities have been confirmed. 

Links and references 

GOV.UK: Ministerial Appointments: July 2026

Update, 13 October 2026: The Department of Health and Social Care announced the following ministerial portfolios:

• The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care – Secretary of State for Health and Social Care - GOV.UK

• The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP, Minister of State for Public Health and Patient Safety – Minister of State for Public Health and Patient Safety - GOV.UK

• Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Social Care – Minister of State for Social Care - GOV.UK

• Karin Smyth MP, Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care) – Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care) - GOV.UK

• Chris McDonald MP, Minister of State (Minister for Science, Innovation and Investment) with joint responsibilities for the Office for Life Sciences – Chris McDonald MP - GOV.UK

• James Frith MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation - GOV.UK

• Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women's Health and Maternity – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women's Health and Maternity - GOV.UK