The Government published an exchange of letters on 14 May 2026 confirming Wes Streeting’s departure from government and setting out a sharp disagreement between the former Health and Social Care Secretary and the Prime Minister. The publication consists of Streeting’s resignation letter and Sir Keir Starmer’s reply, both released through GOV.UK by the Prime Minister’s Office. (gov.uk) What makes the correspondence notable is that it is not limited to a routine resignation formula. Streeting used the letter to combine a record of departmental delivery with a direct statement that he had lost confidence in Starmer’s leadership, while Starmer answered with a defence of the Government’s health record and an attempt to steady the policy programme. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
In administrative terms, Streeting’s case for his tenure is built around performance. He wrote that NHS waiting time targets had been exceeded, that waiting lists fell by 110,000 in March, that ambulance response times for heart attacks and strokes were the fastest in five years, and that A&E four-hour performance was also at its best level for five years. He also pointed to 2,000 more GPs, a rise in satisfaction from 60 per cent to 74.5 per cent, early delivery of the 8,500 mental health staff target, and productivity of 2.8 per cent against a 2 per cent target. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) Same-day NHS England figures broadly support the picture of operational improvement that both men referenced. NHS England said the service had hit its target for the number of patients waiting 18 weeks, with 65.3 per cent of patients at that point in March, while the overall waiting list stood at 7.11 million, down by over 312,000 over the year and at its lowest level for three and a half years. (england.nhs.uk)
The political break comes immediately after that record of delivery. Streeting said that, despite those results, it would be dishonourable to remain in office after losing confidence in Starmer’s leadership. He linked that judgment to the scale of Labour’s local election losses and argued that the Government’s unpopularity had become a common factor in defeats across England, Scotland and Wales. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) His criticism was specific rather than general. The letter cites policy and communications choices, including the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance and the Prime Minister’s 'island of strangers' speech, and argues that Labour now lacks clear vision and direction. Streeting also says Starmer must listen more carefully to colleagues, including backbenchers, and that a heavy-handed approach to dissent has weakened the party’s politics. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
The most consequential passage is Streeting’s claim that it is now clear Starmer will not lead Labour into the next general election. In practical terms, that shifts the exchange from a departmental resignation into a public document about leadership succession, because the point is made in formal correspondence published by Government rather than through briefing or rumour. That is an inference from the publication format as well as the text itself. (gov.uk) Streeting nevertheless framed the next step as a contest of ideas rather than personalities. He said Labour MPs and Labour unions wanted a broad debate about what comes next, and he linked that argument to wider threats he identified after the elections, including nationalism, racism and the rise of Reform UK. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Starmer’s reply does not engage with the leadership criticism. Instead, it thanks Streeting for helping return Labour to government and for what the Prime Minister described as major achievements as Health Secretary. Starmer wrote that the NHS had moved from crisis towards improvement, pointing to shorter hospital waits, faster ambulance arrivals, higher productivity and a better patient experience. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) More importantly for officials and NHS leaders, Starmer used the letter to restate the Government’s forward programme. He cited the 10 Year Health Plan, the Casey Commission, the Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care, the path towards a National Care Service, the National Cancer Plan, HIV Action Plan, National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Tobacco and Vapes Act and the Mental Health Act. The message from Number 10 is that Streeting’s exit is not intended to alter the direction of health policy. The final sentence is an inference drawn from the list of commitments the Prime Minister chose to restate. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
For the health brief, the exchange leaves two immediate tests. First, the next Secretary of State will need to preserve recent operational gains while carrying a crowded reform programme spanning NHS performance, cancer care, maternity, public health, life sciences and adult social care. Secondly, the Government will need to show that ministerial change does not slow delivery on measures already presented as central to its plans. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) For Westminster, the publication is harder to contain than an ordinary resignation because Streeting’s stated reason was confidence in the Prime Minister rather than departmental disagreement. The same-day NHS England data gave Number 10 a strong performance case on planned care, but the letters also show that improved service metrics have not ended questions about authority, message discipline and succession inside government. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
The result is an unusually revealing pair of official documents. Streeting uses his departure to argue that administrative improvement is not enough without political clarity, while Starmer answers by placing continuity in health reform above any public discussion of leadership change. Taken together, the letters amount to both a resignation exchange and a statement of where the Government believes its NHS case stands in May 2026. (gov.uk)