The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care^[2] (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Slàinte is Cùram Sòisealta), commonly referred to as the Health Secretary (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire na Slàinte), is a cabinet position in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for the Health and Social Care Directorates and NHS Scotland.

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Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Slàinte is Cùram Sòisealta
Incumbent Neil Gray since 8 February 2024
Health and Social Care Directorates NHS Scotland Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet
Style	Cabinet Secretary (within parliament) Health Secretary (informal) Scottish Health Secretary (outwith Scotland)
Member of	Scottish Parliament Scottish Cabinet
Reports to	Scottish Parliament First Minister
Seat	Edinburgh
Appointer	First Minister (following approval from Scottish Parliament)
Inaugural holder	Susan Deacon Minister for Health and Community Care
Formation	19 May 1999
Deputy	Minister for Public Health and Women's Health Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy
Salary	£126,452 per annum (2024)[1] (including £72,196 MSP salary)
Website	www.gov.scot

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The current Cabinet Secretary is Neil Gray who has served since 8 February 2024.^[3]

The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by:

The position was created in 1999 as the Minister for Health and Community Care, with the advent of devolution and the institution of the Scottish Parliament, taking over some of the roles and functions of the former Scottish Office that existed prior to 1999. After the 2007 election the Ministerial position was renamed to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.

After the 2011 election the full Ministerial title was Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy with the portfolio being expanded to include Cities Strategy which was part of the SNP manifesto to have a dedicated "Minister for Cities"; at the same time the responsibility for housing was removed and transferred to the new Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment. Responsibilities for the cities strategy and the delivery of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow were later transferred to other members of the cabinet.^[4]

After the 2016 election, the name of the post was changed to simply Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport. In the 2021 cabinet reshuffle, the post was retitled to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

First Minister Humza Yousaf retitled the role as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, appointing Michael Matheson in March 2023 then Neil Gray in February 2024. Upon the formation of the Swinney government, the post was reverted to its previous Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care title.