# Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The shadow secretary of state for health and social care is an office within British politics held by a member of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The duty of the office holder is to scrutinise the actions of the government's secretary of state for health and social care and develop alternative policies. The office holder is a member of the Shadow Cabinet and appointed by the leader of the opposition.
It is currently held by Ed Argar.

## List of shadow secretaries of state for health

| Name | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Leader of the Opposition | Notes |
| Shirley Williams | 19 June 1970 | 19 October 1971 | Labour | | Later SDP Founder and Liberal Democrats Leader in House of Lords |
| Barbara Castle | 19 October 1971 | 24 March 1972 | Labour | | Later Secretary of State for Health and Social Services |
| John Silkin | 24 March 1972 | 4 March 1974 | Labour | | |
| Keith Joseph | 4 March 1974 | 11 March 1974 | Conservative | | Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Services (1970–1974) |
| Geoffrey Howe | 11 March 1974 | 18 February 1975 | Conservative | | |
| Norman Fowler | 18 February 1975 | 19 November 1976 | Conservative | | |
| Patrick Jenkin | 19 November 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Conservative | | |
| David Ennals | 4 May 1979 | 14 June 1979 | Labour | | Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Services (1976–1979) |
| Stanley Orme | 14 June 1979 | 8 December 1980 | Labour | | |
| Gwyneth Dunwoody | 8 December 1980 | 31 October 1983 | Labour | | |
| Michael Meacher | 31 October 1983 | 13 July 1987 | Labour | | |
| Robin Cook | 13 July 1987 | 18 July 1992 | Labour | | |
| David Blunkett | 18 July 1992 | 20 October 1994 | Labour | | |
| Margaret Beckett | 20 October 1994 | 19 October 1995 | Labour | | |
| Harriet Harman | 19 October 1995 | 1 July 1996 | Labour | | |
| Chris Smith | 1 July 1996 | 2 May 1997 | Labour | | |
| Stephen Dorrell | 2 May 1997 | 11 June 1997 | Conservative | | Former Secretary of State for Health (1995–1997) |
| John Maples | 11 June 1997 | 1 June 1998 | Conservative | | |
| Ann Widdecombe | 1 June 1998 | 13 January 1999 | Conservative | | |
| Liam Fox | 13 January 1999 | 6 November 2003 | Conservative | | |
| Tim Yeo | 6 November 2003 | 19 June 2004 | Conservative | | Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Education |
| Andrew Lansley | 19 June 2004 | 12 May 2010 | Conservative | | Later Secretary of State for Health (2010–2012) |
| Andy Burnham | 12 May 2010 | 8 October 2010 | Labour | | Former Secretary of State for Health (2009–2010) |
| John Healey | 8 October 2010 | 6 October 2011 | Labour | | |
| Andy Burnham | 7 October 2011 | 13 September 2015 | Labour | | Former Secretary of State for Health (2009–2010) |
| Heidi Alexander | 13 September 2015 | 26 June 2016 | Labour | | |
| Diane Abbott | 27 June 2016 | 6 October 2016 | Labour | Jeremy Corbyn (Shadow Cabinet) | |
| Jonathan Ashworth | 7 October 2016 | 29 November 2021 | Labour | Keir Starmer (Shadow Cabinet) | Shadow Secretary of State for Health (2016–2020) Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (2020-2021) |
| Wes Streeting | 29 November 2021 | 5 July 2024 | Labour | Keir Starmer (Shadow Cabinet) | |
| Victoria Atkins | 8 July 2024 | 5 November 2024 | Conservative | Rishi Sunak (Shadow Cabinet) | Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in Rishi Sunak's Administration, (2023-2024) |
| Ed Argar | 5 November 2024 | Incumbent | Conservative | Kemi Badenoch (Shadow Cabinet) | Shadow Secretary of State for Justice (2024) Shadow Lord Chancellor (2024) |