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The Rt Hon James Murray MP has been appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care following the resignation of The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP from government.
The appointment was approved by The King on 14 May 2026, with James Murray taking over responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), including oversight of NHS delivery and performance, as well as social care policy.
James Murray has served as the Member of Parliament for Ealing North since 2019. Prior to his appointment to DHSC, he served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from September 2025 and previously held the role of Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury. Before entering Parliament, he served as Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development between 2016 and 2019, following a decade as a local councillor in London.
Wes Streeting confirmed his resignation in a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, stating that he had “lost confidence” in the Prime Minister’s leadership following recent political developments and local election results. An exchange of letters between the Prime Minister and Wes Streeting was subsequently published by the government.
In his resignation letter, Wes Streeting reflected on NHS performance during his tenure, pointing to reductions in waiting lists, improvements in ambulance response times, and increased NHS productivity. He also referenced broader political disagreements within government and concerns over Labour’s future direction, including the scale of recent local election losses and the wider political challenges facing the government.
Responding to the resignation, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer thanked Wes Streeting for his service and described his contribution to NHS reform as significant. In his reply, the Prime Minister highlighted progress including reduced waiting lists, improvements in patient experience, and ongoing policy initiatives such as the 10 Year Health Plan, the National Cancer Plan, and reforms to adult social care.
The Prime Minister also acknowledged the political challenges facing the government following recent local election results, while expressing hope that Wes Streeting would continue to play an important role within the Labour Party in future.
James Murray now assumes leadership of DHSC at a time of continued focus on NHS recovery, social care reform, workforce pressures, and wider healthcare policy development across the UK.
Reacting to the announcement of the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the BHTA, said: “We congratulate James Murray MP on his appointment as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care at a pivotal time for the sector.
“With major structural changes ahead, including the proposed bill to abolish NHS England outlined in the King’s Speech 2026, alongside ongoing concerns around social care, wheelchair services, and community equipment provision, the BHTA looks forward to working constructively with the new Secretary of State to help improve timely access to the right equipment and support for people across the UK.
“We also hope to continue engaging with government on long-standing sector priorities, including the BHTA’s campaign to remove VAT on life-saving public access defibrillators.”
At ‘The Future of MedTech – Innovating for Tomorrow’ conference, Josh Crosley, Co-Lead of the Design for Life programme at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), delivered the third part of a compelling talk titled ‘Building a Sustainable Future through Responsible Procurement’.
The session recapped the Design for Life programme and the opportunities this presents for the medtech sector.
Held on 13 May 2025 at The Mercure in Northampton and jointly hosted by the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) and AXREM, the first two parts of the conference talk were delivered by Chris Taylor from Philips Health Systems and Alexandra Hammond from NHS England.
Design for Life is a flagship DHSC programme aiming to create a circular economy for medical products. Rather than the traditional linear model – take, make, dispose – the initiative focuses on reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling medtech devices to keep them in circulation for as long as possible. Importantly, its scope includes a wide range of medtech products used in patient care, from PPE to surgical equipment.
Born out of the supply chain shocks caused by COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, the programme’s core goal is to increase resilience within the NHS. By reducing dependence on single-use products and extending the lifecycle of products, Design for Life helps ensure continuity of care, even under strain.
Josh highlighted how the programme’s goals are interlinked. Reusable and remanufactured products not only deliver carbon savings of up to 56 percent but also provide significant cost reductions. Many NHS pilots have already demonstrated both financial and quality benefits. For industry, this shift opens up new opportunities in services like remanufacturing, sterile processing, and materials recovery – areas with real potential for economic growth.
The government’s wider commitment to a circular economy underpins the programme, aligning with DEFRA’s national strategy.
One standout example from recent Design for Life pilots was at Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, which trialled a reusable patient warming device, typically used before and after surgery to prevent hypothermia. Previously, the trust disposed of around 4,000 single-use warming blankets annually at a cost of £28,000.
By switching to a reusable alternative, the trust saved £10,000 each year and reduced emissions by nearly two tonnes of CO₂. Beyond cost and carbon, the reusable product delivered quieter operating theatres and improved patient safety, thanks to a design that eliminated the need for glue to attach the blanket to the patient.
However, adoption was not without its challenges. Shifting to reusable systems required changes in decontamination protocols, staff training, and logistics – highlighting the importance of investment in infrastructure and behaviour change.
Josh outlined the programme’s roadmap for overcoming such barriers. These include:
For BHTA members, the Design for Life programme presents a clear signal: the NHS is serious about sustainable procurement, and the system is evolving to support circular solutions. From value-based procurement to new service opportunities, the shift opens commercial pathways for companies ready to innovate.
Josh closed by urging medtech suppliers to engage early, collaborate with NHS partners, and align their products and services with circular principles.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that NHS England (NHSE) will be formally abolished.
“I’m bringing management of the NHS back into democratic control, by abolishing the arms-length body NHS England,” Keir Starmer said during his speech yesterday about reforms to the civil service and the way the UK Government works.
The Prime Minister said the decision to abolish NHSE will avoid excessive duplication and inefficiencies between NHSE and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
It is a move designed to “cut bureaucracy across the state”, “focus government on the priorities of working people”, and “shift money to the frontline”, according to Keir Starmer.
“That will put the NHS back at the heart of government where it belongs”, the Prime Minister remarked.
This major reform also claims to free up capacity and deliver savings of hundreds of millions of pounds a year.
NHSE leads the National Health Service (NHS) in England. NHSE is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the DHSC. The organisation was created in 2012 by the then Conservative Government to handle day-to-day running as part of a reorganisation of the NHS.
The government says that work will begin immediately to return many of NHSE’s current functions to DHSC. Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said that NHSE will be brought into the DHSC entirely over the next two years.
Importantly, DHSC says that it will also realise the untapped potential of the NHS as a single payer system, using its centralised model to procure cutting-edge technology more rapidly, get a better deal for taxpayers on procurement, and work more closely with the life sciences sector to develop the treatments of the future.
The abolishment of NHSE also promises to give more power and autonomy to local leaders and systems so they are given the tools and are trusted to deliver health services for the local communities they serve with more freedom to tailor provision to meet local needs.
For BHTA members, many of whom provide essential healthcare equipment and assistive technologies to the NHS and local authorities, this promise of less bureaucracy and more rapid deployment of cutting-edge technology through a more centralised procurement model should come as welcome news. Although, it is not yet clear how the abolishment of NHSE will affect NHS Supply Chain and its procurement activities. It leads to questions about the broader NHS infrastructure as well.
David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), commented on the news: “In theory, the idea of abolishing NHS England to reduce duplication across NHSE and DHSC and speed up procurement of cutting-edge technology is great news.
“We’ve heard from members many times that the procurement process across the NHS is fragmented, inconsistent, and unnecessarily complicated.
“In practice, we hope that this major change leads to our members not having to re-submit the same details every time they apply for an NHS contract, local NHS systems selecting innovative and value-adding healthcare products over simply the lowest price, and a consistent, straightforward procurement process across England.
“Our upcoming conference is a great chance for BHTA members and non-members alike to hear directly from senior leaders at NHS Supply Chain who will be able to shed some light on this major reform. Conference tickets can be purchased here.”