The must-read stories and debate in health policy and leadership.

HSJ had barely finished uploading some nice pictures of Steve Barclay (and indeed Sajid Javid, for that matter) to its image library when it was time to start all over again.

The latest face to join our ‘health secretary’ gallery is of course Thérèse Coffey, appointed to the role yesterday by Liz Truss, of whom she is a close ally. She is so trusted, in fact, that she has also been named deputy prime minister.

Ms Coffey is the fourth person to hold the role of health secretary in less than 18 months. She has been MP for Suffolk Coastal since 2010 and has also previously served as environment minister and deputy leader of the House of Commons. 

Time will tell how much impact she will make on health if she is also fulfilling the demanding role of the PM’s right-hand woman.

The Times’ Whitehall Editor Chris Smyth tweeted: “Coffey spending much of her time as deputy prime minister [means] Jenrick will effectively have day-to-day oversight of the NHS.”

This is Robert Jenrick, who was appointed a health minister the reshuffle. Meanwhile, Will Quince is being lined up to become the minister for social care.

Coffey’s cancer challenge

Among the many pressing priorities on new health secretary Therese Coffey’s in-tray will be sorting out long waits for cancer treatment.

Long waits have been big news in the media for some time now, due to the performance figures that are published monthly, but HSJ has uncovered unpublished data that paints a worrying picture for cancer patients.

Leaked data reveals the number of patients waiting longer than 104 days for treatment following referral has risen by 10 per cent during a two-month period over summer.

On 26 June the number was 10,361, but on 28 August it had increased to 11,212. The total number of patients on cancer waiting lists is 341,000.

In 2018 NHS England said there should be “zero tolerance” of non-clinically justifiable 104-day delays.

But these are not normal times, and the increase in long waits despite concerted efforts to reduce the backlog shows just how big a challenge the NHS faces.

Sajid Javid made headlines when he declared a “war on cancer”, but he left before his own 10-year cancer plan was published. Therese Coffey’s approach will be crucial for thousands of patients across the country who are waiting far too long for treatment.  

Also on hsj.co.uk today

In our weekly look at the capital’s health economy, London Eye, Ben Clover explains why he is pleased to note the new health secretary has named ambulances as her top priority. And in our comment section, Roger Kline examines the implications of an employment tribunal finding the Care Quality Commission guilty of unfairly dismissing a whistleblower.