New social care minister Norman Lamb has replaced Paul Burstow, who will return to the back benches in the Prime Minister’s cabinet restructure.

Chris Horlick, managing director of the care division at annuity provider Partnership, said Burstow had presided over a wide range of important policy decisions, including the government’s social care white paper.

“These are significant and monumentous reforms. There is an enormous risk of lack of continuity and might cause delay in the time scale for social care reform.

“But Lamb is absolutely passionate about social care and he is a highly regarded and very senior politician so I cannot think of a more able person.”

He added the whole area of social care was “incredibly complex” so the changes could have a dramatic impact on the sector.