The Minister for Community Care is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. The minister is not a member of the Scottish Cabinet, and reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
The current minister is Alison Thewliss, who was appointed by First Minister John Swinney on 20 May 2026.
Contents
Overview
The office in its current form has specific responsibility for:
Public health
Women's health
Palliative care
Abortion
Child and maternal health
Sexual health
Medical records
Population health
Healthy weight
Sensory impairment
Food Standards Scotland
Pharmacy
Ophthalmology
Audiology
Pharmacy First
MyNHS Digital
Mobile healthcare
National Pharmaceutical Agency
Vaccination programmes
Dentistry
History
From 1999 to 2007, public health was the responsibility of the Minister for Health and Community Care and the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care. The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 elections, created the junior post of Minister for Public Health who assisted the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in the Scottish Government.
In 2009, the post became the Minister for Public Health and Sport after assuming the Sport portfolio. From 2011, the post reverted to the title of Minister for Public Health and sport was once again separated off to a new Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport post. Following the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Nicola Sturgeon recreated the old Minister for Public Health and Sport post.
The Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.