Jeremy Hunt's tenure as Health Secretary

Jeremy Hunt in his 2017 official portrait
Jeremy Hunt's tenure as Health Secretary 4 September 2012 – 9 July 2018
Party	Conservative
Election	2010, 2015
Nominated by	David Cameron Theresa May
Appointed by	Elizabeth II
← Andrew Lansley Matt Hancock →

Jeremy Hunt served as Secretary of State for Health, later Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, from 2012 to 2018. Appointed by David Cameron, Hunt served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition and Cameron majority government. He was reappointed by Theresa May and served in the majority and minority May governments. In January 2018, Hunt gained additional responsibility for social care in England and, in June, became the longest-serving Health Secretary in British political history. He left the role when he was promoted to Foreign Secretary following the resignation of Boris Johnson, and was succeeded by Matt Hancock.

Hunt pursued an ambitious agenda to address patient safety, regional variations in premature deaths, health tourism and A&E waiting times. He oversaw increased spending on the National Health Service but was criticised for controversial reforms, manipulating figures and increased privatisation. He implemented policies working towards a seven-day NHS and oversaw the imposition of a controversial new junior doctors' contract in England, after the failure of negotiations during a dispute in which junior doctors undertook industrial action.