Former government minister Baroness Delyth Morgan is to step down after leading the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer and its legacy organisations for 23 years.

She was initially appointed chief executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer in 1995 and following a four-year period in the House of Lords as a minister and government whip she was appointed CEO of Breast Cancer Campaign in 2011.

Following two subsequent mergers, both charities joined with Breast Cancer Care to form Breast Cancer Now, which she also became chief executive of.

Morgan “has transformed the outlook for breast cancer”, according to Breast Cancer Now chair Jill Thompson.

“Driving the merger of the three leading breast cancer charities, Delyth formed Breast Cancer Now as a comprehensive breast cancer charity,” she said.

She added: “A campaigner at heart, Delyth has kept a spotlight on the needs of people with breast cancer amongst policy makers and the public, ensuring improving survival rates do not lead to complacency.

“Breast Cancer Now’s presence at every breast cancer drug appraisal has been pivotal to over 20 drugs being approved for use on the NHS, for patients who stand to benefit from them.”

The charity’s board is now working with recruiters to replace Morgan. The role is being advertised from today until 14 January.

“While it’s been a huge decision, I know this is the right time for me to step down and hand over the reins of this extraordinary charity to someone new,” said Morgan, who was made a life peer in 2004.

“Both personally and as a member of the House of Lords, I’ll remain a staunch advocate for Breast Cancer Now, the cancer community and the charity sector and look forward to continued progress being made for those affected by breast cancer.”

During the Labour government she was a government whip, and a junior minister for children, schools and families for two years. She also spent 10 months as a junior minister for intellectual property and quality.

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