Background
Yvette Cooper has served continuously as an MP since 1997 representing Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley. She was appointed as the new Health Secretary by Andy Burnhman on 20 July 2026 during the first cabinet reshuffle of the Burnham era following his official appointment as UK Prime Minister.
Having served in various ministerial positions for over a quarter century, Cooper brings a wealth of political experience to the Department of Health and Social Care, a department where she previously served as minister between 1999-2002 under Tony Blair’s government. She will be looking to hit the ground running, especially in the area of social care – a topic alluded to by Burnham in his first speech as Prime Minister, as an area that has been neglected by previous ministers and the Government.
Early ambitions
Those eager to see more attention paid to the sector would have been pleased to see Cooper immediately announce her ambition to improve maternity care in her tweet announcing her position as the new Health Secretary. In the tweet she said, “I’m looking forward to working urgently to improve maternity services, to take forward plans for social care, and to once again play a part in supporting our National Health Service, Labour’s proudest achievement.”
If Cooper is serious about this ambition, a difficult challenge lies ahead when considering that a national review of maternity services in England between 2022-2024 by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that 47 percent of maternity services were rated as requiring improvement for safety. Additionally, the Royal College of Midwives reported that the midwifery workforce had not been able to keep up with higher demands which came as a result of an increase in pregnancy rates and births for women with medical and social needs. The Government recently published a reformed version of the Women’s Health Strategy which promises to transform NHS services that matter most to women including maternity. Therefore, if Cooper can continue drawing attention to the matter, it could contribute to her success in the role.
What needs addressing
Stakeholders inside and outside of Parliament seem to agree with the need to prioritise social care, as reiterated by the King’s Fund who said, “social care reform should be at the top of Yvette Cooper’s in-tray…the new secretary of state will have to move at speed.” Ed Davey and the Liberal Democrat Party also appealed to Andy Burnham to put an end to the “social care catastrophe” triggered by analysis which showed that 2026 has seen a record number of people stuck in hospital because they don’t have support to leave.
Legislation-wise, the health bill will be at the top of the health agenda as, in its current format, the bill has major implications for the make-up of the health service. It has been reported that Burnham does not support some of the measures that are embedded in the bill, such as the dissolution of patient voice bodies, including Healthwatch England and hundreds of other NHS agencies. Burnham has been open with his support for hearing the voices of patients and ensuring their independence, meaning there could be a need to amend the bill as a compromise.
Over a year ago, the NHS 10-Year Plan set the direction for reforming health care, and Cooper will have the task of pushing through its delivery, picking up where Streeting left off. This includes publishing the much delayed NHS 10 Year workforce plan, which was due to be published in the latter end of 2025 but was delayed after concerns were raised that the plan failed to address the rising demand for services, unsafe working conditions and the ageing population.
Consequently, it would be in the best interests of NHS workers and leaders, for the Government to publish a revised version of the plan before the end of the year, to provide a clear view of what the long-term vision is to help with demand. A comprehensive workforce plan would have positive implications for the broader aims of the 10-Year Plan, such as delivering the shift from hospital to community and implementing neighborhood services.
Given Cooper’s wealth of experience across various departments (three as secretary), one wouldn’t expect her to be overwhelmed by the amount of work that awaits her upon arriving to the Department of Health and Social Care, but rather it is fair to expect that she will waste little time getting down to business, operating in a way that is measured and calculated. Her economic background and experience as Chief Secretary to the Treasury between 2008-09, where she had responsibility over spending reviews and capital investment, suggests that she will be diligent in spending allocated funds and pursue financially sensible initiatives.
Given that she operated in this role during a time of global financial crisis, it could be inferred that she is equipped with the experience to handle the pressure that comes with tackling the perceived crisis in the NHS. This experience could prove vital when it comes to navigating solutions concerning issues such as the workforce and demands on the health service.
Overall, it shouldn’t be expected for Cooper to overhaul the department but rather seek to deliver on what’s in the pipeline. However, given her analytical and scrutinous nature, which colleagues at the Treasury attested to her character, a review of existing plans is likely, particularly where proposals are considered financially unrealistic or undeliverable.