New Health Minister to be in primary care 'frontline'

With fears among health professionals that many PCGs could face a difficult start, the Government has appointed a politician who is well used to difficult issues. Mr Denham, who is MP for Southampton Itchen, was instrumental in steering through the Government's pensions review, acknowledged as one of Labour's major projects when it came into power. Before taking over from Social Security Minister Frank Field last July, he was junior minister in the Department of Social Security, and responsible for fraud, national insurance and pensions. He had been opposition spokesman on social security between 1995 and 1997. Mr Denham developed his political skills in local government, and was a councillor on Hampshire County Council from 1981-1989, and then Southampton City Council until 1992. There he helped to expose a scandal over computer purchases at Wessex Health Authority. Commenting on his appointment, he said: 'We have a challenging agenda ahead of us to continue the process of implementing the reforms of my predecessor, including steering the NHS Bill through the House and ensuring that Primary Care Groups are up and running by April this year.' Bob Hughes, general secretary of the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians, said he was sorry to hear of Mr Milburn's departure. 'He's been very good for optics and the meetings we've had with him have been extremely productive,' he said. 'I think he understood the problems of opticians and the contribution they make, but now we're looking forward to working with his successor.' Mr Milburn is the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a promotion that was expected to take place in a cabinet reshuffle this summer until the resignations of Peter Mandelson and Geoffrey Robinson.