Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care

Michael Matheson MSP

Contact

Address

Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care
Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Michael Matheson was appointed Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care in March 2023.

Responsibilities

The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for:

  • NHS recovery and remobilisation
  • primary care and GPs
  • community care
  • acute services
  • unscheduled care
  • NHS performance
  • workforce, training, planning, and pay
  • patient services and patient safety
  • health and social care integration
  • health improvement and protection
  • quality and improvement
  • person-centred care
  • eHealth
  • NHS estate
  • centre of excellence for rural and remote medicine and social care
  • allied healthcare services

Supporting Ministers

Biography

He was born in Glasgow in 1970 and educated at St John Bosco Secondary School. He went on to study at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh, where he obtained a BSc in Occupational Therapy. He also holds a BA and a Diploma in Applied Social Sciences from the Open University.

Prior to becoming an MSP, Mr Matheson practised as a Community Occupational Therapist with Stirling Council, Central Regional Council, and Highland Regional Council.

He was elected as the MSP for Falkirk West following the May 2007 elections. Prior to this, he was a Regional MSP for Central Scotland from 1999 to 2007. Before being appointed Minister for Public Health and Sport, Mr Matheson was Vice Convenor of the European and External Relations Committee. He also sat on the Scottish Parliament's Health and Sport Committee, and previously served on the Justice and Enterprise and Culture Committees. Michael Matheson was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Justice in November 2014, reappointed in May 2016, and was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity in June 2018. He was most recently Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport until March 2023.

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