FODO continues to horizon-scan for opportunities and risks on professions behalf

It is all change again at the top, with a new prime minister in Andy Burnham and a new health team, but, as with the previous team, this government faces significant economic and political headwinds.

As ever, FODO will continue to horizon-scan for opportunities and risks on your behalf, whether that means ramping up our monitoring during passage of the latest Health Bill, analysing the changing landscape following the latest cabinet reshuffle, or looking for new ways to influence the agenda.

That work is already under way. Given Mr Burnham’s planned review of business rates in England and his government’s continued push to revitalise high streets, we have begun work with wider primary care on what we can do together to ensure the voice of out-of-hospital healthcare providers is heard, including on business rates. We also continue to ensure policymakers understand the important role our members play on the high street and as major employers across the UK, recently highlighting this to the chair of NHS England and the minister for health.

While things continue to change at Number 10, we continue to represent your interests as the political landscape evolves. We will keep our members updated on any significant developments, as we always do. In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the new Cabinet, please see the health policy section below.

Mr Burnham has yet to make any concrete announcements on health but has appointed the seasoned politician Yvette Cooper to take over from James Murray as secretary of state at the Department of Health and Social Care. Dame Diana Johnson becomes a minister of state for health, joining Karin Smyth, who remains in her ministerial post. Stephen Kinnock, former minister of state for health and social care, becomes secretary of state for Wales.