SOUTH West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt has expanded his cabinet portfolio to include a responsibility for social care, extending his reign as the third-longest serving Health Secretary since the creation of the National Health Service.

The Tory MP for Farnham and Haslemere was appointed the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care by Number 10 in Monday’s cabinet reshuffle, despite widespread speculation that he could be replaced as Health Secretary and given a new cabinet post.

Responding to the news, Mr Hunt told the Herald: "I am thrilled to be back at Health which has become a passion despite the many challenges of the role. It remains the brief in government that has a more direct impact on people's lives than any other. My first focus will be on supporting doctors and nurses on the frontline through a very challenging winter."

Mr Hunt succeeded Andrew Lansley as Secretary of State for Health by the then-Prime Minister David Cameron on September 4, 2012 and has survived numerous cabinet re-shuffles and a change of government to serve in the post for 1,953 days at the time of Monday’s afternoon’s cabinet “refresh”, as described by PM Theresa May.

Only Labour’s post-war health minister Aneurin Bevan (1,994 days) and 1980s Tory minister Normal Fowler (2,099) have occupied the post for longer in the NHS-era.

Mr Hunt’s reign as Health Secretary has been far from plain sailing, having frequently clashed with health worker unions over his plans for a ‘seven-day NHS’ - culminating in multiple strikes called by the British Medical Association in 2016 following failed negotiations over a new junior doctors contract.

And when asked on Radio 4’s Today programme in April 2016 if he should “step down for the sake of the NHS” following a strike by A&E doctors, Mr Hunt responded being Health Secretary was “likely to be my last big job in politics”.

Speculation reached fever pitch on Monday afternoon during a long delay before Mr Hunt’s new post was confirmed, but according to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, “sources” explained this was due to a “long conversation” with the Prime Minister about the NHS winter crisis.

Mr Hunt’s new post follows longstanding calls for greater integration between the NHS and social care providers in England, not least by Surrey County Council which has frequently blamed public service cutbacks on a shortfall in funding for adult social care.

More to follow in this week’s Herald, on sale Thursday…