In the space of a few days, Thérèse Coffey has become the second most powerful woman in Westminster. Having taken over the health brief and become second-in-command to her longtime ally Liz Truss, the current Work and Pensions Secretary will face the most difficult challenge of her political career as she seeks to contain a growing crisis in the NHS.
Much of Ms Coffey’s attention will be consumed by the NHS backlog, with 6.7 million Britons waiting for routine hospital treatment. Record waits in A&E and dismal ambulance response times caused by a broken social care system will also feature high on her to-do list, as voters grow impatient with the Tories’ management of the health service.
