RCN welcomes Andy Burnham as new Shadow Health Secretary

Published: 07 October 2011

Commenting on the news that the Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP has been appointed as the new Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Janet Davies, Executive Director of Nursing and Service Delivery for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:

"The Royal College of Nursing welcomes Andy Burnham to the post of Shadow Secretary of State for Health.  We have previously enjoyed a good relationship with him through his earlier roles in health and wish him well for his time in office.  Health is an area facing massive change and shadowing that brief is one of the most important jobs in politics.  We hope and believe that he will listen carefully to the concerns of nurses, who can provide the frontline perspective needed to improve the experience of every patient.

“The RCN enjoyed a good relationship with John Healey, both as Shadow Secretary of State and during his time in government.  He and his team were key in opposing parts of the Health and Social Care Bill objected to by the RCN and other organisations. We are very grateful to them for working so well alongside the various professions to ensure high levels of patient care. We wish him well for the future and thank him for his energy, commitment and warmth towards the nursing profession.

"The RCN works constructively with politicians from all sides, and we look forward to a mature working relationship with the Labour health team that will be of real benefit to patients."

Ends

Notes for Editors

For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.