Health & Social Care

As 2020 approaches, senior figures from across government reflect on their highlights and challenges of 2019, look ahead to the next 12 months and share their favourite festive memories

Legislation lined up after Johnson promises to make the NHS "number one priority"

Prime minister sets out priorities that also include a Budget after the UK leaves the EU

Party manifesto promises "the days of Whitehall knows best are over" as it pledges white paper on English devolution

HMRC doubles number of mental health advocates while Home Office appoints new champions

Manifesto pledges include resurrecting department for climate change and creating a chief secretary for sustainability role in HM Treasury

To get the best value for stretched public resources, we need a whole government approach to develop a long-term plan for the nation’s health, says Tim Elwell-Sutton, healthy lives assistant director, the Health Foundation

Help for Heroes recovery director Retired Colonel David Richmond will take on cross-government role

Freight service will transport medical supplies with short shelf lives like radioisotopes and human organs

Government won't fly in medicines in first batch of contracts awarded through £300m post-Brexit framework

2019 survey also includes more questions about civil servants' socio-economic backgrounds

Stats watchdog says department has failed to answer questions about how the pledge will be funded

Watchdog says disruption cannot be ruled out despite health secretary Matt Hancock's guarantee

Commons leader compared neurologist David Nicholl to anti-vaxxer Andrew Wakefield after no-deal warnings

Providers told supplies could take up to five days to deliver – up from three days set out in February guidance

A combination of Brexit and the Conservative leadership campaign has all but officially postponed the 2019 Spending Review. Beckie Smith and Richard Johnstone look at what impact the delay will have, and whether there are opportunities to be grasped in the extra time

Experts say hospitals had already earned £1bn of cash announced by Boris Johnson by making spending cuts

Johnson says 'strong economic performance' has made funding possible 

Government rethinks approach after DfT's attempt to secure freight capacity for first Brexit deadline 'cost £85m'

£200m cladding scheme drawn from MHCLG’s existing budget is ‘insufficient’ select committee says

Team collaborates with MHCLG and charities for Royal Statistical Society prize-winning project

Secretary of state Amber Rudd pledges “fresh and honest” examination with medical and charity input

Next prime minister urged to float Department for Health and Social Care's long-delayed vision ahead of conference season

Lidington pledges government will only pay for capacity it uses after £50m payout to scrap no-deal ferry contracts