The New South Wales Minister for Health is a minister in the New South Wales Government and has responsibilities which includes all hospitals, health services, and medical research in New South Wales, Australia.

Together they administer the health portfolio through the Health cluster, including the Ministry of Health, its Office of Medical Research, and a range of other government agencies, including local health districts and the NSW Ambulance service.

Ultimately, the ministers are responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.

Office history The role of a government advisor and administrator on medical policy in New South Wales began in 1914, with the appointment of Fred Flowers as the Minister for Public Health. However the medical portfolio had been administered in the government since 1848 when the first "Medical Adviser to the Government" was appointed, with his office reporting to the Colonial Secretary. Following the amalgamation of the Board of Health and the Medical Advisor to the Government a "Department of Public Health" was established in April 1904, headed by the President of the Board of Health. This department was abolished in 1913 and was replaced by the "Office of the Director-General of Public Health" which, like its predecessor, operated under the supervision of the Colonial Secretary. Upon Flowers' appointment as Minister for Public Health, a dedicated government minister supervised the portfolio while remaining the junior minister to the Colonial Secretary. The office was reconstituted as a fully independent "Department of Public Health" headed by the Minister (titled Minister for Health since 1930) in 1938.

The department existed until its abolition in 1972 with the passing of the Health Commission Act 1972 which created the "Health Commission of New South Wales" headed by the minister. In December 1982 the Health Commission was abolished by the Health Administration Act 1982 and replaced by the Department of Health. On 5 October 2011 the department was renamed the "Ministry of Health".

List of ministers Health Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister for Public Health   Holman (1) 22 April 1914 27 April 1915 27 April 1915 15 November 1916  Holman (2) 15 November 1916 18 July 1919 18 July 1919 29 January 1920 Minister for Public Health and Motherhood  StoreyDooley (1) 9 February 1920 20 December 1921 Minister for Public Health   Fuller (1) 20 December 1921 a.m. 20 December 1921 p.m. 7 hours   Dooley (2) 20 December 1921 13 April 1922   Fuller (2) 12 April 1922 17 June 1925   Lang (1) 17 June 1925 26 May 1927 Lang (2) 26 May 1927 18 October 1927   Bavin 18 October 1927 3 November 1930 Minister for Health   Lang (3) 4 November 1930 17 June 1931 17 June 1931 15 October 1931   15 October 1931 13 May 1932   Stevens (1) 16 May 1932 10 February 1935 Stevens (2) (3) 11 February 1935 5 August 1939 Mair 5 August 1939 5 September 1939 5 September 1939 16 May 1941   McKell (1) (2)McGirr (1) (2) 16 May 1941 30 June 1950 McGirr (3)Cahill (1) (2) 30 June 1950 15 March 1956 Cahill (3) (4)Heffron (1) (2)Renshaw 15 March 1956 13 May 1965   Askin (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) 13 May 1965 3 December 1973 Askin (6) 3 December 1973 3 January 1975 Lewis (1) (2)Willis 3 January 1975 14 May 1976   Wran (1) (2) (3) 14 May 1976 2 October 1981 Wran (4) (5) 2 October 1981 10 February 1984 Wran (6) (7) (8) 10 February 1984 6 February 1986 Unsworth 6 February 1986 4 July 1986 Minister for HealthMinister for the Drug Offensive 4 July 1986 21 March 1988 Minister for Health   Greiner (1) 25 March 1988 6 June 1991 Minister for Health and Community Services Greiner (2)Fahey (1) 6 June 1991 24 June 1992 Minister for Health Fahey (2) (3) 24 June 1992 4 April 1995   Carr (1) (2) 4 April 1995 8 April 1999 Carr (3) 8 April 1999 2 April 2003 Carr (4) 2 April 2003 3 August 2005 Iemma (1) 3 August 2005 2 April 2007 Iemma (2) 2 April 2007 5 September 2008 Rees 5 September 2008 1 September 2009 1 September 2009 14 September 2009 ReesKeneally 14 September 2009 28 March 2011   O'FarrellBaird (1) (2) 3 April 2011 30 January 2017 Berejiklian (1) 30 January 2017 23 March 2019 Minister for Health and Medical Research Berejiklian (2)Perrottet (1) 2 April 2019 21 December 2021Minister for Health Perrottet (2) 21 December 2021 28 March 2023 Minister for Health and Regional Health Minns 28 March 2023 5 April 2023 Minister for Health 5 April 2023 incumbent

Mental health

Regional health

Medical research

Former ministerial titles Assistant ministers Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Assistant Minister for Health   Unsworth 26 November 1987 21 March 1988 Assistant Minister for Health  Fahey (2) 3 July 1992 26 May 1993 Assistant Minister for Health  Baird (2) 23 April 2014 2 April 2015 Berejiklian (1) 2 April 2015 30 January 2017

Hospitals Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister for Hospital Management   Greiner (2) 6 June 1991 26 June 1991 Minister for Health Services ManagementFahey (1) 26 June 1991 24 June 1992

Cancer Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer)   Carr (4)Iemma (1) 2 April 2003 2 April 2007 Iemma (2) 2 April 2007 5 September 2008 Rees 8 September 2008 4 November 2008 4 November 2008 4 December 2009 Keneally 8 December 2009 28 March 2011

Healthy lifestyles Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister for Healthy Lifestyles   O'Farrell 3 April 2011 17 April 2014

See also

List of New South Wales government agencies

Notes

References

External links NSW Ministry of Health