New Patient Safety Minister confirmed

Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP has today been confirmed as the new UK Government minister who will have a portfolio responsibility for patient safety.

She was previously Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions between 6 September 2025 and 21 July 2026, and Minister of State in the Home Office between 8 July 2024 and 6 September 2025.

She was elected as the MP for Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham at the general election in July 2024 and has represented Hull North, as Hull’s first female MP, since May 2005.

Diana was Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee from 2021 until 2024.

Under the Labour government between 2005 and 2010 Diana was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Children, Schools and Families and a government whip. 

Between 2010 and 2015 Diana held a number of front bench roles including in the shadow Home Office team.

She was named backbencher of the year in 2018 for her work to secure a public inquiry into the NHS contaminated blood scandal.

Diana served as a Commissioner on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from 2019 to 2024.

In 2020 Diana received a Damehood for her political and charitable work. 

Read more here.

Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 10 August 2026