Pharmacist appointed as minister for public health, women’s health and sport

Pharmacist Maree Todd has been appointed as minister for public health, women’s health and sport in the new Scottish government.

Todd worked as a mental health pharmacist in Inverness for 20 years before being elected as Scottish National Party (SNP) MSP on the regional list for the Highlands and Islands in May 2016. In 2017, she was appointed as minister for children and young people.

In a post on Twitter on 19 May 2021, when her new position was announced, Todd said she was “delighted” with her new role, describing it as a “dream job”.

In an interview with The Pharmaceutical Journal published in December 2016, Todd said her priorities for health in Scotland were moving services from acute to primary care, tackling inequalities and improving mental health treatment.

In her new role, Todd will support Humza Yousaf, SNP MSP for Glasgow Pollok, as he takes up the post of cabinet secretary for health and social care. Yousaf takes over from Jeane Freeman, who did not stand for re-election in the May 2021 Scottish parliamentary elections.  

Yousaf was first elected in May 2011, aged 26 years, becoming the youngest minister ever appointed to the Scottish government. Responding to the announcement of his new appointment, he said he would “ensure we put pandemic response and recovery at the heart of our health and social care service”.

Following the May 2021 elections in Wales, former MEP Eluned Morgan, Labour MS for Mid and West Wales, has been appointed as the new minister for health and social services, taking over from Vaughan Gething who moves to a new role as economy minister.

In a statement, the Welsh government said Morgan’s role will have a “specific focus on NHS recovery and the pandemic response”.

In a Tweet on 13 May 2021, Morgan said her new role came with a “challenging portfolio”, but that she looked forward to “working with partners in the sector to lead us through the next chapter in our NHS history”.