How exactly does the new health secretary propose to ‘fix’ the NHS?

Thérèse Coffey has no personal experience or expertise in health or social care – she will have to learn fast, writes Ian Hamilton

Coffey has already identified her priorities using the acronym of ABCD: Ambulances, Backlog, Care and Doctors/Dentists (Reuters)

As with prime ministers, there have only been three female health secretaries – and the latest appointment made by new PM Liz Truss is her long-standing friend Thérèse Coffey. There has been considerable churn in the leadership of this large department with five health secretaries in as many years. This is clearly a department that needs some stability at the top.

Having stable leadership is crucial, as each newly appointed secretary cannot seemingly resist making their mark on the NHS – something that the late health economist Alan Maynard referred to as the “re-disorganisation” of the NHS. His criticism was that most changes lacked any evidence and were rarely evaluated. This seems remarkable, given the £13bn annual budget and the scale of the organisational upheaval involved. The reorganisation of the NHS in 2013 was judged to be so vast it could be viewed from space.

The recent inclusion of social care in the job description of health secretary makes this responsibility not only important but demanding. As if this wasn’t enough, Coffey has also taken on the role of deputy prime minister – not an insignificant job in itself.