Wes Streeting has announced plans to provide the morning after pill free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS in a major win for women's health.
The move will end the current postcode lottery that sees women charged up to £30 for emergency contraception.
The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to address health inequality across England.
Currently, access to emergency contraception varies dramatically depending on where women live.
The move from Wes Streeting will end the current postcode lottery that sees women charged up to £30 for emergency contraception
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Ministers believe the measures will ensure all women can obtain essential healthcare when needed, regardless of their financial situation.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said: "Equal access to safe and effective contraception is crucial to women's healthcare and a cornerstone of a fair society.
"Women across England face an unfair postcode lottery when seeking emergency contraception, with access varying dramatically depending on where they live."
He added: "By making this available at community pharmacies, we will ensure all women can access this essential healthcare when they need it, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay."
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The plans will free up valuable appointment slots across the country
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Full details of the agreement are expected to be announced by the Government on Monday although it has been reported the initiative is due to be introduced later this year.
The scheme has been tipped to relieve pressure on GP services as women will no longer need to book GP appointments to receive the emergency contraception.
This in turn will free up valuable appointment slots across the country and help Labour honour an election pledge to cut NHS waiting times.
The plans come as the Health Secretary warned "hundreds" more NHS health quangos could soon be axed after the Prime Minister announced the end of the "world's biggest quango" last week.
Streeting warned there was "far more change to come" and that the abolition of NHS England was simply the start, insisting that there was "no time to waste".
Streeting wrote in The Sunday Telegraph: "The abolition of NHS England – the world's largest quango – is the beginning, not the end.
"Patients and staff alike can see the inefficiency and waste in the health service.
"My team and I are going through budgets line by line, with a relentless focus on slashing bloated bureaucracy."
