Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran has been appointed to a high profile position as chair of the health and social care select committee.

The announcement was made yesterday afternoon in the House of Commons by the speaker Lindsay Hoyle.

Ms Moran, who stood unopposed, succeeds Conservative MP Steve Brine, who lost his seat in the 2024 general election. 

The committee will scrutinise the new government’s efforts to solve the challenges facing health and social care services, examining government policy, spending and administration on behalf of the electorate and the House of Commons.

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Ms Moran chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on coronavirus during the pandemic, hearing from expert medical witnesses and patients and often leading scrutiny of government decision-making during a turbulent time.

Speaking after the announcement, Layla Moran said: “I am delighted to be taking on the role of chair of the health and social care committee, to constructively challenge ministers and the department to deliver.

“Almost every day I hear from local residents in Oxfordshire who are stuck on waiting lists, doctors and nurses who are overstretched, and elderly people trapped in hospitals without a care plan.

"The role of the committee as a critical friend of the government as it tackles these challenges has never been more important.

“Our local area is also home to astounding research and innovation in medicine, pioneering developments like the Covid vaccine. I want to highlight their ground-breaking work in my new role.

“From social care to dentistry, and waiting lists to the workforce crisis, it has never been more pressing to find common ground across the political spectrum and I look forward to running a committee that champions the voice of patients and front line health and social care staff.”