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.”

A recent House of Lords debate on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has highlighted long-standing challenges in wheelchair and community equipment provision — and how a proposed amendment could help address them.

The amendment

Amendment 165A to Clause 44 of the Bill, tabled by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, would add the following to the list of “general health determinants” that authorities must consider when addressing health inequalities:

“(f) the degree of ease or difficulty with which persons have access to high quality wheelchair and community equipment provision.”

This amendment would include wheelchair and community equipment provision in the list of ‘general health determinants’ that authorities need to have regard to as a cause of health inequality.

Debate highlights

Peers from across the House voiced support for the amendment, describing the current state of wheelchair and community equipment provision as fragmented, inconsistent, and underfunded.

Watch the debate from 19:56:28 via this link: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/dacc4873-aaf6-4230-83a1-46ad665ad36b?in=19:56:28

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath called the current system “a disgrace,” citing evidence from the Wheelchair Alliance and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Access to Disability Equipment showing the lack of national standards, independent regulation, and clear repair or complaints processes. “Many disabled people face long waiting times, delays in hospital discharge, loss of independence, social isolation and avoidable deterioration in health and well-being,” he said.

He explained that wheelchair and community equipment services, though often reaching the same individuals, are managed separately — one primarily by the NHS, the other by local authorities and integrated care boards. This division, he argued, leads to inefficiency and poor outcomes. “They should operate in tandem, but they are two distinct systems,” he said, urging closer collaboration.

Lord Shinkwin, speaking as a wheelchair user, said the amendment “puts the issue on the radar,” adding that access to wheelchair and community equipment services “is a health inequality issue.” He warned that the system’s fragmentation and lack of accountability have allowed inequality to become normalised. “Fragmentation may make for better ICB balance sheets in the short term, but history shows that, in the medium term, it is a very costly false economy.”

Baroness Griffin of Princethorpe added that one in three disabled people are still waiting for approved equipment, and that 74 percent of delayed hospital discharges are linked to equipment delays. The amendment, she said, would help make this area of provision a recognised factor in tackling health inequalities.

Government response

Responding for the UK Government, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage acknowledged the concerns but said existing legislation already requires provision of such services. In her response in the House of Lords, she said:

“Local authorities in England already have a statutory duty under various legislation, including the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability aids and community equipment to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area. In terms of delivery, NHS England supports integrated care boards and wheelchair providers to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of NHS wheelchairs and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment.”

She added that she would raise the issues with colleagues in DHSC and MHCLG and confirmed that the Bill’s existing scope already allows for access to equipment to be considered under “general health determinants.”

Watch Baroness Taylor’s response to Amendment 165A from 16:06:27 via this link: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/49b1e807-8829-4a75-a307-4a738052e65b?in=16:06:27

What it could mean for BHTA members

If accepted, Amendment 165A would:

• Formally recognise wheelchair and community equipment provision as a determinant of health.
• Require authorities to show how they are addressing access and quality of provision.
• Potentially influence commissioning priorities and encourage more consistent service standards.

Next steps

The amendment remains under consideration as the Bill progresses through the House of Lords. Its debate marks an important acknowledgment of the essential role that wheelchairs and community equipment play in tackling health inequalities. The BHTA will update members if the amendment is accepted into the Bill.

Andrew Stevenson, British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) President and Wheelchair Alliance Committee Member, recently gave an update on the Wheelchair Alliance at the BHTA’s inaugural joint meeting for the Children’s Equipment, Independent Living, and Mobility sections.

The event took place on 5 July 2023 at the Walton Hall Hotel and Spa in Warwickshire, which provided informative and engaging presentations for attendees and demonstrated the value of being a BHTA member.

One of the highlights from the day was Andrew’s presentation about the Wheelchair Alliance.

The Wheelchair Alliance is a community interest company that has been set up by NHS England with a goal of improving wheelchair provision in England. Its vision is to transform the experience of wheelchair users in England through improved access, quality, and effectiveness of services.

See below some slides about the Wheelchair Alliance’s vision, mission, and operational plan for 2023-2027.

Importantly, BHTA has a seat on the Wheelchair Alliance board to ensure that the voices of product suppliers, commissioned service providers, retailers, and associated businesses are represented at all times.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when most in-house wheelchair services closed, the BHTA set up a wheelchair working group. This group saw some of the UK’s major wheelchair service providers come together to ensure that, while the NHS was under extreme pressure, the needs of wheelchair users were fully supported and that services continued operating.

Now, the BHTA is looking to develop this wheelchair working group further via the Wheelchair Alliance. The alliance’s wheelchair working group wants more BHTA members involved, including not just wheelchair suppliers but members involved in specialist seating and posture and mobility.

It means BHTA members will have a chance to have direct input at board meetings with the Wheelchair Alliance where relevant.

For BHTA members looking to get involved with the Wheelchair Alliance, they should get in touch with their membership engagement management for further details.