Wes Streeting resigns as health secretary

Wes Streeting has resigned as health and social care secretary, setting the stage for a Labour Party leadership election.

Streeting resigned early on Thursday afternoon (14 May), stating that he had lost confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership after last week’s local election results.

There was no confirmation on who would take over the role of health secretary, or if there would be wider changes to the Government’s health team, at the time of writing.

Streeting was made health secretary after Labour’s general election victory in 2024, after serving as the shadow health secretary since 2021.

Since 2024 he has overseen the beginnings of a major overhaul to the NHS, centred on the 10-Year Health Plan.

The plan focuses on three shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention.

Legislation to give integrated care boards a broadened role, as strategic commissioners in a “modernised” NHS, was put forward in the King’s Speech yesterday (Wednesday 13 May).

The King’s Speech also laid out plans to abolish NHS England, as part of the NHS Modernisation Bill.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Streeting set out successes that the Department of Health and Social Care has overseen during his tenure, including that NHS waiting lists fell by 110,000 in March 2026 – the biggest drop, COVID-19 aside, since 2008.

Streeting also noted the recruitment of 2000 GPs, and said that GP satisfaction has risen from 60% to 74.5% since Labour came to office in 2024.

Lead image: Wes Streeting speaking on stage at the NHS Confederation Expo in June 2025