Minister of Health redirects here. For the Canadian Minister of Health please see Minister of Health (Canada)

Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health (UK).

The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated June 21, November 14, and November 21 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests as its President. In 1854 this Board was reconstituted and the President appointed separately. However, the Board was abolished and its duties transferred the Privy Council by the Public Health Act 1858. From 1871 the Health powers were moved to the President of the Local Government Board.

The Ministry of Health was created in 1919 as a reconstruction of the Local Government Board. From 1968 it was amalgamated with the Ministry of Social Security under the Secretary of State for Social Services, until a demerger of the Department of Health and Social Security on July 25, 1988.

President of the Board of Health

• Sir Benjamin Hall (October 14, 1854 - August 13, 1855)
• Hon. William Cowper (August 13, 1855 - February 9, 1857)
• William Monsell, 1st Baron Emly of Tervoe (February 9, 1857 - September 24, 1857)
• Hon. William Cowper (September 24, 1857 - February 21, 1858)
• Charles Adderley (March 8, 1858 - September 1, 1858)

Minister of Health

• Christopher Addison (June 24, 1919 - April 1, 1921)
• Alfred Mond (April 1, 1921 - October 19, 1922)
• Sir Arthur Griffith-Boscawen (October 24, 1922 - March 7, 1923) (Defeated for election to the House of Commons)
• Neville Chamberlain (March 7, 1923 - August 27, 1923)
• Sir William Joynson-Hicks (August 27, 1923 - January 22, 1924)
• John Wheatley (January 22, 1924 - November 3, 1924)
• Neville Chamberlain (November 6, 1924 - June 4, 1929)
• Arthur Greenwood (June 7, 1929 - August 24, 1931)
• Neville Chamberlain (August 25, 1931 - November 5, 1931)
• Sir Edward Hilton Young (November 5, 1931 - June 7, 1935)
• Kingsley Wood (June 7, 1935 - May 16, 1938)
• Walter Elliot (May 16, 1938 - May 13, 1940)
• Malcolm MacDonald (May 13, 1940 - February 8, 1941)
• Ernest Brown (February 8, 1941 - November 11, 1943)
• Henry Willink (November 11, 1943 - July 26, 1945)
• Aneurin Bevan (August 3, 1945 - January 17, 1951)
• Hilary Marquand (January 17, 1951 - October 26, 1951)
• Harry Crookshank (October 30, 1951 - May 7, 1952)
• Iain Macleod (May 7, 1952 - December 20, 1955)
• Robin Turton (December 20, 1955 - January 16, 1957)
• Denis Vosper (January 16, 1957 - September 17, 1957)
• Derek Walker-Smith (September 17, 1957 - July 27, 1960)
• Enoch Powell (July 27, 1960 - October 20, 1963)
• Anthony Barber (October 20, 1963 - October 16, 1964)
• Kenneth Robinson (October 18, 1964 - November 1, 1968)

Secretary of State for Social Services

• Richard Crossman (November 1, 1968 - June 19, 1970)
• Keith Joseph (June 20, 1970 - March 4, 1974)
• Barbara Castle (March 5, 1974 - April 8, 1976)
• David Ennals (April 8, 1976 - May 4, 1979)
• Patrick Jenkin (May 5, 1979 - September 14, 1981)
• Norman Fowler (September 14, 1981 - June 13, 1987)
• John Moore (June 13, 1987 - July 25, 1988)

Secretary of State for Health

• Kenneth Clarke (July 25, 1988 - November 2, 1990)
• William Waldegrave (November 2, 1990 - April 10, 1992)
• Virginia Bottomley (April 10, 1992 - July 5, 1995)
• Stephen Dorrell (July 5, 1995 - May 2, 1997)
• Frank Dobson (May 3, 1997 - October 11, 1999)
• Alan Milburn (October 11, 1999 - June 13, 2003)
• John Reid (June 13, 2003 - )