Chris McAndrew / Wikimedia Commons
Maggie Throup, MP for Erewash, Derbyshire, has been appointed as parliamentary under-secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). She will take over responsibility for pharmacy as part of her role as minister for prevention, public health and primary care.
In her new role, Throup also has responsibility for COVID-19 vaccine deployment, vulnerable or shielding groups, and supply of PPE. Her portfolio also covers health inequalities and health improvement.
Writing on Twitter on 16 September 2021, Throup said she was looking forward to her new portfolio, including “rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine booster programme” and helping to “deliver lasting reforms to health and social care”.
Throup has a biology degree from the University of Manchester and her experience includes working as a biomedical scientist specialising in haematology, as well as in sales and marketing for the pharmaceutical industry before entering Parliament in May 2015.
As a Conservative MP, Throup has represented Erewash since first being elected as an MP. She has twice sat on the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee and, as of 7 September 2021, sits on the committee for the Health and Care Bill, currently passing through the House of Commons.
Throup takes over the role from Jo Churchill, who has moved to be parliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Throup is the fourth MP to hold the ministerial pharmacy brief in the past three years: Steve Brine, held the role from June 2017 until March 2019, but resigned to vote against a government three-line whip on Brexit. Brine was succeeded by Seema Kennedy, who was in post from April 2019 until July 2019. Jo Churchill took over in August 2019.
