Rt Hon Matt Hancock
BIOGRAPHY
Matt Hancock started his professional life in data, working as an economist in the City of London. From there, he undertook pivotal roles in shaping national events in the UK for over two decades, notably as Digital Secretary and subsequently as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in the UK Cabinet.
He first worked in his family tech business, coding solutions to the millennium bug, and writing user guides. Despite facing challenges such as dyslexia, which wasn’t identified until his first year at Oxford University, Matt excelled, securing a First-class degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics before furthering his studies with a master’s degree in economics at Cambridge University.
Matt spent his early 20s at the Bank of England, where he first worked on a national crisis, working with the US Federal Reserve bank to keep the financial system stable following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
After five years at the Bank of England, Matt moved to advise Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, on economic policy from 2005 to 2010, holding the pen on the key economic reforms – including the fiscally credible economic platform, the introduction of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and the reform of financial regulation including the design of the Regulatory Policy Committee and FCA.
At the age of 35 Prime Minister David Cameron invited Matt to attend the UK Cabinet – becoming the third youngest person to do so since the Second World War – as Minister for Business and Energy, and then as Postmaster General, where he was responsible for the efficiency and digitalisation of government.
This included the digitisation of many citizen-facing services, and the ensuing efficiencies and reforms of civil service terms led to the smallest civil service since the war. Matt launched the new National Cyber Security Centre, a model that has been replicated by many countries around the world.
During the 2016 referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union, Matt supported the Remain campaign. Subsequently appointed as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, he navigated the passage of key legislation such as the UK’s Data Protection Act, positioning the UK as a global tech investment hub and become the third biggest recipient of tech investment in the world, after the US and China.
In 2018, Prime Minister Theresa May asked Matt to become Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Understanding his background in data and technology, Matt was asked to modernise the NHS and unleash the power of UK health data. As Health Secretary, Matt was responsible for a budget of over £200bn, and for 1.4 million NHS employees – the fifth largest organisation in the world – as well as the provision of social care and health protection. Matt developed, launched, and implemented the NHS Long Term Plan, a reform programme to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the NHS.
Matt spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives during his tenure, including the creation of the NHS app, which revolutionised access to health data for citizens and enhanced data interoperability. Additionally, he established NHSX as the innovation hub within the NHS, furthering technological advancements and driving efficiency.
His reform programme included the first-ever NHS workforce plan, hiring a Chief People Officer for the first time, and successfully settling the junior doctor strike, which had been ongoing for many years.
When Theresa May announced she would be standing down in 2019, Matt stood to succeed her as Prime Minister, coming fifth in the race, behind eventual winner, Boris Johnson, who reappointed him as Health Secretary. Matt’s commitment to hire 50,000 more nurses, and build 40 new hospitals, were at the centre of the Conservative’s successful 2019 election campaign.
As Secretary of State for Health and Social Care during the coronavirus pandemic, Matt was responsible for steering the country, the NHS, and the UK health system through the most significant global health crisis in a century.
From leading Downing Street press conferences and chairing COBR meetings to liaising with international leaders and overseeing the world’s most successful vaccination programme, Matt was at the forefront of government, working closely with the Prime Minister, as well as the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, to decide how the world’s sixth largest economy would respond to the virus.
Matt founded the UK Health Security Agency and was at the forefront of the UK government's communication with the public, fronting the daily press conference, and answering questions in Parliament. He was at the forefront of global pandemic response coordination and chaired the weekly G7 Health Ministers pandemic response meeting.
Matt chaired the UK Vaccine Delivery Board, which in December 2020 delivered the world’s first clinically approved vaccine for COVID-19, delivering more than 3 billion doses to 183 countries around the world.
Through the UK’s commitment to ensuring global fair access, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is estimated to have saved 6.3 million lives in the first year of the global vaccine rollout – the most out of all the vaccines in circulation at the time.
Matt’s leadership extends beyond the Covid-19 response. He championed initiatives to strengthen the NHS, increased funding for mental health services, and improved access to healthcare for all UK citizens. Under Matt’s leadership, the NHS began its digital transformation, harnessing technology to improve patient care, streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
Since stepping down from government in June 2021, Matt has championed the early identification of dyslexia, as well as other neurodivergent conditions, building on his own personal experience. Last year, Matt founded the Accessible Learning Foundation (ALF) and in 2024 introduced the Neurodivergent Conditions (Screening and Teacher Training) Bill into the UK Parliament. He continues to work closely with the ALF trustees.
Outside of politics, Matt has a strong interest in technology and its potential to benefit society. He is particularly passionate about advancements in artificial intelligence and health technology and explores ways to use tech innovations for social good.
In his spare time, Matt enjoys spending time with his three children, playing cricket, horse racing, running, and participating in physical challenges. Matt is an adventurer. In 2005 Matt broke the world record for the most northerly game of cricket ever played, pulling on the pads at the North Pole. Matt has completed the London marathon twice and is the first MP since the First World War to win a horse race under rules, when he crossed the line first in a charity race in Newmarket, in 2012.