Minister for Community Care

Minister for Community Care
Scottish Gaelic: Ministear airson Slàinte a’ Phobaill agus Slàinte nam Ban
since 21 May 2026
StyleMinister
(within parliament)
Health Minister
(informal)
Scottish Health Minister
(outwith Scotland)
Member of
Reports toScottish Parliament
SeatEdinburgh
AppointerFirst Minister
Inaugural holderIain Gray
Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care
Formation13 May 1999
Salary£106,185 per annum (2024)[1]
(including £72,196 MSP salary)
Websitewww.gov.scot

The Minister for Community Care is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. The minister is not a member of the Scottish Cabinet, and reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

The current minister is Alison Thewliss, who was appointed by First Minister John Swinney on 20 May 2026.

Overview

The office in its current form has specific responsibility for:[2]

History

From 1999 to 2007, public health was the responsibility of the Minister for Health and Community Care and the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care. The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 elections, created the junior post of Minister for Public Health who assisted the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in the Scottish Government.

In 2009, the post became the Minister for Public Health and Sport after assuming the Sport portfolio. From 2011, the post reverted to the title of Minister for Public Health and sport was once again separated off to a new Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport post. Following the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Nicola Sturgeon recreated the old Minister for Public Health and Sport post.

The Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.[3]

List of office holders

Name Portrait Entered office Left office Party First Minister
Iain Gray 13 May 1999 26 October 2000 Labour Donald Dewar
Malcolm Chisholm 26 October 2000 22 November 2001 Labour Henry McLeish
Hugh Henry 22 November 2001 4 May 2002 Labour Jack McConnell
Mary Mulligan 22 November 2001 8 October 2004 Labour
Frank McAveety 4 May 2002 20 May 2003 Labour
Tom McCabe 20 May 2003 8 October 2004 Labour Jack McConnell
Rhona Brankin 8 October 2004 28 June 2005 Labour
Lewis Macdonald 28 June 2005 17 May 2007 Labour
Shona Robison 17 May 2007 10 Feb 2009 Scottish National Party Alex Salmond
Shona Robison 11 Feb 2009 20 May 2011 Scottish National Party Alex Salmond
Michael Matheson 20 May 2011 21 November 2014 Scottish National Party Alex Salmond
Maureen Watt 21 November 2014 18 May 2016 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon
Aileen Campbell 18 May 2016 27 June 2018 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon
Joe FitzPatrick 27 June 2018 18 December 2020 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon
Mairi Gougeon 21 December 2020 20 May 2021 Scottish National Party
Maree Todd 20 May 2021 29 March 2023 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon
Jenni Minto 29 March 2023 20 May 2026 Scottish National Party Humza Yousaf John Swinney
Alison Thewliss 21 May 2026 Incumbent Scottish National Party John Swinney

See also

References

  1. ↑ "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 10 May 2024.
  2. ↑ "Minister for Public Health and Women's Health". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  3. ↑ Scotland Act (1998), Only those appointed under Section 47 of the Scotland Act "attend" Cabinet. Junior ministers are appointed under Section 49 and may be "present".
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