In Rishi Sunak's reshuffle, Victoria Atkins has been made health secretary.

She replaces Steve Barclay, who has been made environment secretary.

Atkins had served as financial secretary to the Treasury since Sunak became prime minister.

She was minister of state at the Ministry of Justice and Minister for Afghan Resettlement between September 2021 and 6 July 2022.

She was elected as the Member of Parliament for Louth & Horncastle in May 2015.

Atkins takes on the role amid ongoing strikes and negotiations over pay and conditions. There are also warnings once again that this will be a difficult winter for the NHS.

Image: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons