Chris Whitehouse, a political consultant and expert on medical technology policy and regulation at Whitehouse Communications, covers the appointment of Parliamentary Private Secretaries to the DHSC.
As the latest batch of appointments following the formation by new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, of his Ministerial team, three appointments to the role of Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) have been made at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
PPSs are not paid as Ministers, but they support as volunteers the full members of the Ministerial team in fulfilling their responsibilities. The DHSC PPS appointments are Catherine Atkinson MP, David Burton-Sampson MP, and Sonia Kumar MP.
Atkinson was, briefly, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls earlier in 2026; Burton-Sampson previously served in the same PPS role at DHSC; and Kumar, a former NHS physiotherapist, has served as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Allied Health Professionals, and on Osteoporosis and Bone Health, as well as having served as a PPS in the Cabinet Office under Sir Keir Starmer’s Premiership.
The Author used AI in preparing this article. Comments upon or questions about this article can be addressed to chris.whitehouse@whitehousecomms.com.
