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Paul Burstow
Former Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam, served as Minister for Care & Support from 2010-2012 and is Chair of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
Paul Burstow is chair of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
Paul Burstow has served as Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam since 1997. He served as Minister of State for Care Services in the Department of Health between 2010-2012.
Paul first stood as Liberal Democrat candidate for Sutton and Cheam in 1992, when he achieved the biggest swing to the Liberal Democrats in Greater London. Prior to his success in winning the seat in 1997, Paul headed the Liberal Democrats' local government unit, the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors.
On election to Parliament, Paul was appointed as junior frontbench spokesman on local government. In 1999 Paul was made spokesperson for older people, and after the 2001 General Election he was invited to join the Shadow Cabinet, covering issues affecting the elderly and vulnerable. In 2003 Paul was promoted to Shadow Health Secretary. In March 2006, he was elected the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in the House of Commons.
At the 2010 General Election, Paul was re-elected as the MP for Sutton and Cheam. After the formation of the coalition government Paul was appointed Minister of State for Care Services, serving in this role until September 2012. His areas of responsibility were care for the elderly, adult social care, mental health services, and learning disability programmes. He was also responsible for reforming social care law and funding and for promoting parity of esteem for mental health in particular pioneering the development of new talking therapy services for children and young people.
Paul finished work on the Public Bill Committee for The Care Bill, having previously chaired the Joint Committee on the Draft Care and Support Bill and is currently chairing two year-long independent commissions, one on mental health with the think-tank CentreForum, and the other on the Future of Residential Care with the think-tank Demos.
Paul joined the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust as Chair of the Trust in November 2015 and is currently serving his first term, due to end in October 2018.
