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 - flying in the face of 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 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 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 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 that his five years as the Government’s NHS chief had come to an end reached fever pitch on Monday afternoon when a long delay ensued after he was seen entering Number 10 for his meeting with the PM.

However, 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 [on reforming social care funding ].”

The cause of the delay in announcing Mr Hunt’s expanded role is still unknown. It has been widely reported that he refused a move to Business Secretary, while The Huffington Post reported that the South West Surrey MP persuaded Theresa May to let him stay as Health Secretary after declaring that “a captain does not abandon his ship” - citing his late father’s wartime experience as a Royal Navy admiral.

This also chimes 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 that Jeremy’s role has been expanded to include social care.

“I believe it is vital that 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 local 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.”

A spokesman for the North East Hampshire and Farnham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “The combination of the health and social care portfolios is a positive development because it supports the integrated health and social care work we are doing through our vanguard programme and in the development of the Frimley Health and Care accountable care system, in which health services and local authorities are working closely together.

“Projects such as our enhanced recovery at home programme and Community Integrated Care Teams rely on health and social care staff working as one team for the benefit of patients. This is the future way of working.

The news has not been welcomed by everyone, however, with Mr Hunt’s long-time South West Surrey election rival National Health Action’s Dr Louise Irvine writing to The Herald this week to declare that his re-appointment is “an insult to patients and staff”. Read Dr Irvine’s letter in full on page 15.