# Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

The Minister for Public Health and Women's Health is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. The minister is not a member of the Scottish Cabinet, and reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
The current minister is Jenni Minto, who was appointed by First Minister Humza Yousaf on 29 March 2023.

## Overview

The office in its current form has specific responsibility for:
* Public health
* Women's health
* Palliative care
* Abortion
* Child and maternal health
* Sexual health
* Medical records
* Population health
* Healthy weight
* Sensory impairment
* Food Standards Scotland
* Pharmacy
* Ophthalmology
* Audiology
* Pharmacy First
* MyNHS Digital
* Mobile healthcare
* National Pharmaceutical Agency
* Vaccination programmes
* Dentistry

## History

From 1999 to 2007, public health was the responsibility of the Minister for Health and Community Care and the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care. The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 elections, created the junior post of Minister for Public Health who assisted the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in the Scottish Government.
In 2009, the post became the Minister for Public Health and Sport after assuming the Sport portfolio. From 2011, the post reverted to the title of Minister for Public Health and sport was once again separated off to a new Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport post. Following the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Nicola Sturgeon recreated the old Minister for Public Health and Sport post.
The Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.

## List of office holders

| Name | Name | Entered Office | Left Office | Party | First Minister |
| Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care |||||||
| | Iain Gray | 13 May 1999 | 26 October 2000 | Labour | Donald Dewar |
| | Malcolm Chisholm | 26 October 2000 | 22 November 2001 | Labour | Henry McLeish |
| Deputy Ministers for Health and Community Care |||||||
| | Hugh Henry | 22 November 2001 | 4 May 2002 | Labour | Jack McConnell |
| | Mary Mulligan | 22 November 2001 | 8 October 2004 | Labour | Jack McConnell |
| | Frank McAveety | 4 May 2002 | 20 May 2003 | Labour | Jack McConnell |
| Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care |||||||
| | Tom McCabe | 20 May 2003 | 8 October 2004 | Labour | Jack McConnell |
| | Rhona Brankin | 8 October 2004 | 28 June 2005 | Labour | Jack McConnell |
| | Lewis Macdonald | 28 June 2005 | 17 May 2007 | Labour | Jack McConnell |
| Minister for Public Health |||||||
| | Shona Robison | 17 May 2007 | 10 Feb 2009 | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond |
| Minister for Public Health and Sport |||||||
| | Shona Robison | 11 Feb 2009 | 20 May 2011 | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond |
| Minister for Public Health |||||||
| | Michael Matheson | 20 May 2011 | 21 November 2014 | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond |
| | Maureen Watt | 21 November 2014 | 18 May 2016 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Minister for Public Health and Sport |||||||
| | Aileen Campbell | 18 May 2016 | 27 June 2018 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing |||||||
| | Joe FitzPatrick | 27 June 2018 | 18 December 2020 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon |
| | Mairi Gougeon | 21 December 2020 | 20 May 2021 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport |||||||
| | Maree Todd | 20 May 2021 | 29 March 2023 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Minister for Public Health and Women's Health |||||||
| | Jenni Minto | 29 March 2023 | Incumbent | Scottish National Party | Humza Yousaf |