UK Parliament
Diana Johnson has been appointed as the new pharmacy minister, the government has confirmed.
Johnson was appointed as a junior health minister on 21 July 2026, in the days after Andy Burnham became prime minister.
In the new prime minister’s first reshuffle, former pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock was moved to become secretary of state for Wales, while Yvette Cooper was appointed health secretary.
The Department of Health and Social Care has now confirmed that pharmacy is part of Johnson’s portfolio, which also includes general practice, neighbourhood health, children’s health and health inequalities.
Johnson was first elected to the House of Commons in 2005, and currently sits as MP for Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham.
Under the Labour government between 2005 and 2010, Johnson was a minister in the Department of Children, Schools and Families, as well as a government whip.
Johnson was also previously a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions between 8 July 2024 and 6 September 2025, and a Home Office minister between 8 July 2024 and 6 September 2025.
In addition, she was chair of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee from 2021 until 2024.
Commenting on the confirmation of the new pharmacy minister, Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, said: “We congratulate Dame Diana Johnson on her appointment as minister of state for public health and patient safety and welcome her new responsibility for community pharmacy. We look forward to working closely with her and the wider ministerial team to help unlock the full potential of community pharmacy.
“Dame Diana has previously shown support for the sector, and we are keen to build on that interest. We hope to continue the constructive dialogue established with the outgoing minister, focusing on securing a sustainable future for the sector, addressing ongoing financial pressures, and enabling community pharmacies to make an even greater contribution to the government’s ambitions for improving access to care, prevention and neighbourhood health services.”
Mahendra Patel, chair of the Royal College of Pharmacy’s English Pharmacy Advisory Council, commented: “We warmly welcome the appointment of Diana Johnson as minister of state for public health and patient safety with responsibility for pharmacy and look forward to working with the new ministerial team.
“This appointment comes as pharmacy navigates a period of considerable change, including reforms to Integrated Care Boards, delivery of the new pharmacy contract and ongoing uncertainty around workforce strategy.
“We look forward to working constructively with the new minister and government to ensure that pharmacy is positioned at the heart of [reforms] and that pharmacists’ skills are fully utilised to improve patient care and reduce health inequalities.”
