JEREMY Hunt, Health Secretary and MP for South West Surrey, has reportedly installed a £44,000 private bathroom suite in his new London offices, amid ongoing cuts to the NHS, which has been instructed to make “efficiency savings” totalling £22 billion by 2020.

The minister, who recently called for the health service to make efficiency cuts, as “money wasted is money that can’t be spent on patients”, had allegedly requested the suite for his own private use.

According to The Sun, the private bathroom, which includes a designer toilet, sensor-activated lights and floor-to-ceiling slate tiles, was commissioned for the Health Department’s new offices in Victoria, South London.

However, Mr Hunt denied the allegation, tweeting: “Today’s @TheSun story totally false. TRUE I requested shower for long dist cyclists in new Dept Health offices (as in current office).

“FALSE it was for my own use. My cycle 2work only 10 mins so no need 2 ‘freshen up’ as story elegantly says. But let’s encourage cyclists!’

John O’Connell, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “It’s an absurd amount to spend when the building already had adequate facilities”. While Mr Hunt, who earlier this year had sold his part of his education firms Hotcourses for an estimated £14.4 million, was also branded “outrageous” by the chairman of the Labour party, Ian Lavery.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health responded to the story, stating: “The Health Secretary has not approved any costs relating to the department’s new building, but has requested facilities for all cyclists and runners in line with those the department currently has.”