View source for Secretary of State for Social Services

The '''Secretary of State for Health and Social Services''' was a position in the UK cabinet, created on 1 November 1968 with responsibility for the [[Department of Health and Social Security]]. It continued until 25 July 1988 when [[Department of Health and Social Care|Department of Health]] and the [[Department of Social Security]] were created.

Though when created the position had responsibility for the [[National Health Service]] throughout [[England and Wales]], responsibility for the [[NHS Wales|NHS in Wales]] was transferred to the [[Secretary of State for Wales]] in 1969.

==Secretaries of State==
'''Colour key''' (for political parties):<br />
{{legend2|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend2|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=3|Name
! colspan=2|Term of office
! Length of term
! Political party
! colspan=2|Prime Minister
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | 
| colspan=2|[[Richard Crossman]]
| 1 November 1968
| 19 June 1970
|{{age in years, months and days|1 November 1968|19 June 1970}}
| [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Harold Wilson]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 
| colspan=2|[[Keith Joseph|Sir Keith Joseph]]
| 20 June 1970 
| 4 March 1974
|{{age in years, months and days|20 June 1970|4 March 1974}}
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Edward Heath]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | 
| colspan=2|[[Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn|Barbara Castle]]
| 5 March 1974 
| 8 April 1976
|{{age in years, months and days|5 March 1974|8 April 1976}}
| Labour
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Harold Wilson]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| colspan=2|[[David Ennals, Baron Ennals|David Ennals]]
| 8 April 1976 
| 4 May 1979
|{{age in years, months and days|8 April 1976|4 May 1979}}
| Labour
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[James Callaghan]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 
| colspan=2|[[Patrick Jenkin, Baron Jenkin of Roding|Patrick Jenkin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/1097/career |title=Lord Jenkin of Roding |work=UK Parliament |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>
| 5 May 1979 
|13 September 1981
|{{age in years, months and days|5 May 1979|13 September 1981}}
| Conservative
| rowspan=3 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=3|[[Margaret Thatcher]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 
| colspan=2|[[Norman Fowler]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/315/career |title=Lord Fowler |work=UK Parliament |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>
| 14 September 1981 
| 13 June 1987
|{{age in years, months and days|14 September 1981|13 June 1987}}
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 
| colspan=2|[[John Moore, Baron Moore of Lower Marsh|John Moore]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/1022/career |title=Lord Moore of Lower Marsh |work=UK Parliament |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>
| 13 June 1987 
| 24 July 1988
|{{age in years, months and days|13 June 1987|24 July 1988}}
| Conservative
|-
| colspan=8| ''Post split into [[Secretary of State for Work and Pensions|Secretary of State for Social Security]] and [[Secretary of State for Health]] in 1988.''
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Secretary of State for Health}}

[[Category:Lists of government ministers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Defunct ministerial offices in the United Kingdom]]