The Minister for Community Care is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. The minister is not a member of the Scottish Cabinet, and reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
The current minister is Alison Thewliss, who was appointed by First Minister John Swinney on 20 May 2026.
Overview The office in its current form has specific responsibility for: Public health Women's health Palliative care Abortion Child and maternal health Sexual health Medical records Population health Healthy weight Sensory impairment Food Standards Scotland Pharmacy Ophthalmology Audiology Pharmacy First MyNHS Digital Mobile healthcare National Pharmaceutical Agency Vaccination programmes Dentistry
History From 1999 to 2007, public health was the responsibility of the Minister for Health and Community Care and the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care. The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 elections, created the junior post of Minister for Public Health who assisted the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in the Scottish Government.
In 2009, the post became the Minister for Public Health and Sport after assuming the Sport portfolio. From 2011, the post reverted to the title of Minister for Public Health and sport was once again separated off to a new Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport post. Following the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Nicola Sturgeon recreated the old Minister for Public Health and Sport post.
The Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.Scotland Act (1998), Only those appointed under Section 47 of the Scotland Act "attend" Cabinet. Junior ministers are appointed under Section 49 and may be "present".
List of office holders
NamePortraitEntered officeLeft officePartyFirst Minister Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care Iain Gray13 May 199926 October 2000LabourDonald DewarMalcolm Chisholm26 October 200022 November 2001LabourHenry McLeish Deputy Ministers for Health and Community Care Hugh Henry22 November 20014 May 2002LabourJack McConnellMary Mulligan22 November 20018 October 2004LabourFrank McAveety4 May 200220 May 2003Labour Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care Tom McCabe20 May 20038 October 2004LabourJack McConnellRhona Brankin8 October 200428 June 2005LabourLewis Macdonald28 June 200517 May 2007Labour Minister for Public Health Shona Robison 17 May 200710 Feb 2009Scottish National PartyAlex Salmond Minister for Public Health and Sport Shona Robison11 Feb 200920 May 2011Scottish National PartyAlex Salmond Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson 20 May 201121 November 2014Scottish National PartyAlex Salmond Maureen Watt21 November 201418 May 2016Scottish National PartyNicola Sturgeon Minister for Public Health and Sport Aileen Campbell 18 May 201627 June 2018Scottish National PartyNicola SturgeonMinister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing Joe FitzPatrick 27 June 201818 December 2020Scottish National PartyNicola Sturgeon Mairi Gougeon 21 December 202020 May 2021Scottish National PartyMinister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport Maree Todd 20 May 202129 March 2023Scottish National PartyNicola SturgeonMinister for Public Health and Women's Health Jenni Minto29 March 202320 May 2026Scottish National PartyHumza Yousaf John SwinneyMinister for Community Care Alison Thewliss21 May 2026IncumbentScottish National PartyJohn Swinney
See also Scottish Government Scottish Parliament Question Time
References
External links Minister for Public Health and Sport on Scottish Government website