[5] The passage of the Health and Social Care Act in March 2012 prompted the party's co-founder Clive Peedell, a cancer specialist doctor, to co-write an open letter to The Independent alongside esteemed medical signatories.

[9] The party's best result to date was the 7,211 votes taken by Dr Richard Taylor in Wyre Forest in 2015 (he had been the MP from 2001 to 2010 under the label Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern).

[11] Surgical registrar Dr Alex Ashman was elected as the new permanent party leader in December 2016[12] and promised to continue the work begun by Drs Peedell and Taylor.

[citation needed] Supporters have included authors Mark Haddon[14] and Philip Pullman,[15] satirist Armando Iannucci,[16] science writer Marcus Chown[17] and comedian Rufus Hound.

[24] Food blogger and activist Jack Monroe was announced as the NHA Party candidate for Southend West,[25] but withdrew due to ill health and receiving death threats.