When I was appointed health secretary nine months ago, one of the areas of health that I decided to make an early priority was that of prevention.

People go to see their GPs for all sorts of reasons, but it is estimated that 20% of medical appointments are for social rather than medical problems.

Who looks after us when we are not well?  We have the most brilliant health care professionals that make up the NHS. We can rely on the NHS from cradle to grave to look after our health when we need it.

When I was appointed Health Secretary eight months ago, I stated my three priorities for the role. First, to focus on our brilliant NHS staff and make sure that they are well supported and well appreciated. Second, to put technology at the heart of the NHS. And third, to focus on prevention.

Early in January, the government launched the NHS Long Term Plan to set out how it will guarantee the future of the NHS.  It describes how we will use the largest funding settlement in the history of the NHS of £20.5bn to strengthen it over the next decade, rising to the challenges of today and s

Volunteering in the New Year

In these turbulent political times, people often ask if I enjoy being an MP. With all the pressures and the noise, I can see why. But the truth is, that democracies are noisy, and people make their cases with passion, especially when the issues are so big.

Christmas round-up from Matt Hancock

Driving around my West Suffolk constituency recently, I passed through the Fiveways roundabout at Barton Mills.  As many of you may know, improvements to the roundabout are well underway.

The phrase referring to Britain as “a nation of shopkeepers” is often attributed to Napoleon, but this concept even predates Napoleon.  Adam Smith, the philosopher and economist, also referred to “a nation of shopkeepers” in his 1776 book “A Wealth of Nations”.  But no matter who got there first,