Sajid Javid: What can doctors expect from the new health secretary?
BMJ 2021; 374 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1700 (Published 05 July 2021) Cite this as: BMJ 2021;374:n1700
- Jacqui Thornton
- London
As the new secretary of state for health and social care in England proudly sat down once more on the front bench last week, a wag pointed out he was not wearing the NHS badge so beloved of his predecessor, Matt Hancock.
“It’s not about badges, but delivering for the NHS,” he shot back succinctly on Twitter,1 setting his stall out early.
But as he takes on this new role, Sajid Javid remains somewhat of an enigma when it comes to his new specialist area. In a 9000 word Wikipedia profile the only mention of “health” for the MP for Bromsgrove comes with his latest Cabinet position.2
Voting record
His parliamentary voting record shows that he has consistently voted for reorganising the NHS so GPs can buy services on behalf of their patients and repeatedly against restricting the provision of services to private patients by the NHS.3
On a more ethical topic, he has never voted on allowing terminally ill people to be given assistance to end their life. In his questions to ministers, recent subjects include mental health and nature and medical research into Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.4
On smoking he’s more mixed: he’s been absent from two votes on smoking in vehicles, and in 2010 …
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