Following an election for the position of Chair, Jeremy Hunt – Conservative MP for South West Surrey – has been confirmed as the new Chair-elect of the Health and Social Care Select Committee.
The secret ballot of MPs took place on Wednesday 29th January. Votes were counted under the Alternative Vote system.
Mr Hunt will take up the role of Chair once the remaining members of the Committee have been appointed by the House.
Hunt said “For my last six months as Health Secretary, social care was formally added to my responsibilities but it was not long enough to bring forward reforms or – more crucially – a funding settlement for social care.”
“That is what I will be pressing for, because the NHS will continue to fall over every winter until we fix social care, risking both patient safety and staff morale.”
“I’ll also focus on making faster progress on mental health & patient safety; recent maternity scandals show we can never be complacent. I look forward to working with my committee to provide a strong, independent voice that supports NHS staff & patients in a very pressured period.”
