JEREMY Hunt, MP for South West Surrey, officially became the longest-serving Health Secretary in the history of the NHS last Monday - surpassing fellow Tory Norman Fowler’s 2,099 days spent in the post in the mid-1980s.

Mr Hunt succeeded Andrew Lansley as Secretary of State for Health on September 4, 2012, and has survived numerous cabinet re-shuffles, a change of government and Tory party leadership - not to mention intense scrutiny - to serve in the post for 2,106 days as of today (Monday).

Commenting on his longevity on Monday, Mr Hunt posted on Twitter: “Sometimes time has flown, at others it’s been achingly slow, but every second of last 5+ yrs has been a privilege. Thanks #NHS for being extraordinary in so many ways: much more impressive than a long serving Health Sec are the staff who have devoted 10, 15 or 20+ yrs to patients.”

• No further action will be taken against Mr Hunt for breaking parliamentary rules over his purchase of seven luxury flats.

An inquiry was launched in April after Mr Hunt failed to disclose he was a 50 per cent shareholder of Mare Pond Properties, a company that bought seven luxury flats.

Mr Hunt should have declared his interest within 28 days but took nearly five months, and also failed to declare his interest to Companies House, a criminal offence.

But Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone has found his offence was at the “less serious end of the spectrum” and decided against referring him to the Commons Committee on Standards.