Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Women) and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy)

Maria Caulfield MP

Biography

Maria Caulfield MP was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Women) for the Equality Hub on 27 October 2022.

She was previously Minister of State for Health at the Department for Health and Social Care between 7 July 2022 and 7 September 2022.

She was previously:

Minister of State for Health at the Department for Health and Social Care between 7 July 2022 and 7 September 2022
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Patient Safety and Primary Care) from 17 September 2021 to July 2022
Assistant government whip from December 2019 to September 2021

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Women)

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Women) is responsible for:

driving women’s policy and the government’s wider priorities for women and girls, including tackling violence against women and girls (with the Minister for Safeguarding)
tackling maternal and mental health disparities for minority groups
supporting improvements to the provision and accessibility of childcare to support working parents
progressing the Worker Protection Bill through Parliament
delivery of the government’s Inclusive Britain Action Plan
sponsorship of the Equality and Human Rights Commission

More about this role

Government Equalities Office, Equality Hub, Race Disparity Unit, and Department for Business and Trade

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy)

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy is responsible for:

women’s health
maternity services
gender identity services
cosmetic regulation
DHSC litigation
mental health:
- children and young people and early intervention
- Mental Health Act
- suicide prevention and crisis prevention
bereavement
disabilities, including autism
offender health
patient safety:
- clinical negligence
- historic inquiries
- quality regulation
- death certification
- indemnity
- Patient Safety Commissioner
Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
patient experience:
- ombudsman and complaints
- whistleblowing and health ethics
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA):
- COVID-19 (COVID-19 status certification, variant tracing and shielding)
- environmental health (air quality, chemicals and radiation)
- health security at the border
- infectious diseases (including mpox)
- seasonal flu
vaccines:
- COVID-19 vaccine deployment and uptake
- routine immunisations and vaccinations
long COVID
antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and global health security
emergency preparedness, including Ukraine
sponsorship of:
- Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB)
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- NHS Resolution
- Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)
- Human Tissue Authority (HTA)
- UKHSA
Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry