What will Jeremy Hunt as chancellor mean for the NHS?

Hunt appears to have undergone something of a ‘road to Damascus’ experience since his stint as health secretary, writes Ian Hamilton

Of all the positions in cabinet, health secretary is the one most aspiring politicians view as the least attractive. The NHS is sacred, and yet there is never enough money to meet the burgeoning health needs of the nation.

Not only was Jeremy Hunt, the newly appointed chancellor, previously the health secretary, but he held the post for longer than any of his predecessors. You don’t expect to be popular as health secretary, which is just as well, but Hunt has a record of taking on significant challenges during his term at health.

He made it his mission to focus on safety, prompted by the inquiry into the lack of care at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust. He recognised that there was a culture of covering up mistakes, and sought to foster a learning and no-blame culture in the NHS. Many current staff in the health service will have a view about whether he managed to achieve this or not.