Jeremy Hunt will prioritise out-of-hospital care in his first statement made as the reinstated health secretary of the new government.
He said that his biggest priority was to transform care outside of hospitals in the same wat that care inside hopsitals has 'dramatically improved.' He reiterated his focus on providing care for the vulnerable and elderly and said 'we need a step change in services offered through GP surgeries, community care and social care. That is my mission and I know it is the mission of the whole NHS too.'
Mr Hunt was reappointed on 11 May. NHS organisations have congratulated Mr Hunt on the appointment, while also reminding him of the challenges he will face in the NHS.
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the RCN said: 'This is a time of immense challenges for the health service and we look forward to working together and constructively with Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt and the new Government on issues affecting nursing staff and their patients. The new Government's commitment to the Five Year Forward View is encouraging, as is their pledge to provide £8 billion extra spending on the NHS which our members would like to see honoured. With dialogue and political will we can ensure that our health service remains the first class system that it is.'
The NHS Confederation's chief executive Rob Webster said: 'The political will to support the implementation of the Five Year Forward View, the financial support for the NHS and the consequential changes in the way in which care is delivered will be high on the agenda.'
Chris Ham, chief executive of The King's Fund, said: '[Hunt's] first priority must be to plug the growing black hole in NHS finances by securing additional funding for the current financial year. This should go hand-in-hand with a renewed drive to improve productivity to ensure the NHS is playing its part in responding to the pressures it is facing.'