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 Haslemere was appointed the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care by Number 10 in Monday’s cabinet reshuffle – flying in the face of speculation that he could be replaced as Health Secretary and given a new cabinet post.

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 on September 4, in 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 cabinet “refresh”, as described by PM Theresa May.

Only Labour’s post-war health minister Aneurin Bevan (1,994 days) and 1980s Tory minister Norman 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 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 speculation his five years as the NHS chief had come to an end reached fever pitch during the afternoon when a long delay ensued after he was seen entering Number 10 for his meeting with the PM.

But after his expanded portfolio was confirmed on Twitter, Mr Hunt returned to his favourite Mark Twain quote, last uttered after surviving another reshuffle in 2016, retweeting: “’Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated...’ Thrilled to be back in the best job in Government.”

He later elaborated: “How we treat the elderly is the litmus test of a civilised society. The health and social care systems are umbilically linked, so putting leadership in one Government department makes sense as a first step ahead of a vital green paper.”

The forthcoming Green Paper on reforming social care funding was announced by Damian Green, the then First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office, in November, but will now fall under the responsibility of Mr Hunt’s renamed Department of Health and Social Care.

The cause of the delay in announcing Mr Hunt’s expanded role is still unknown. It has been widely reported he refused a move to Business Secretary, while according to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg’s “sources” it was due to a “long conversation” with the Prime Minister about the NHS winter crisis.

The Huffington Post went one step further, reporting the South West Surrey MP persuaded Theresa May to let him stay as Health Secretary after declaring “a captain does not abandon his ship” – citing his late father’s wartime experience as a Royal Navy admiral.

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

Mr Hunt’s new post follows long-standing 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 and this week hailed Mr Hunt’s expanded role.

Surrey leader David Hodge told The Herald: “I’m delighted Jeremy’s role has been expanded to include social care. I believe it is vital we tie social care policy and the health agenda together and that is why Surrey County Council has worked with its partners in health to spearhead the Surrey Heartlands devolution deal alongside three of our Surrey Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England.

“I know Jeremy is very much behind the project which shows he recognises the importance of bringing these core services together.

“We meet with Jeremy on a regular basis and I look forward to seeing him again soon so I can congratulate him in person.”

The news has not been welcomed by everyone, however, with Mr Hunt’s long-time election rival, National Health Action’s Dr Louise Irvine writing to The Herald this week to declare his re-appointment was ‘an insult to patients and staff.’