Maria Caulfield, a former nurse and one-time local councillor, has been appointed the minister responsible for community health and primary care including community pharmacy.

The 48-year-old MP for Lewes takes on her new role at the Department of Health and Social Care having worked as a nurse after leaving school and going on to specialise in cancer treatment. She replaces Jo Churchill as pharmacy minister.

Ms Caulfield was a senior sister at the Royal Marsden NHS Hospital and returned to work as a nurse during the pandemic.

Her political career started when she was elected to Brighton and Hove City Council in 2007 before winning election in Lewes in 2015.

The outgoing PSNC chief executive Simon Dukes said: “We look forward to meeting with her at the earliest opportunity and to continuing to work collaboratively with both her and the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that community pharmacies can contribute to the Government’s health ambitions.

“There is much that pharmacy can - and is - doing to support the pandemic recovery and we will ensure that Ms Caulfield is fully briefed on both the challenges ahead for community pharmacies and the vital and valuable roles they play in their local communities.”