Jeremy Hunt remains as Health Secretary after earlier reports he'd been sacked

'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated... Thrilled to be back in the best job in Government'

Jeremy Hunt is to stay on in Theresa May’s government as Health Secretary, it has been confirmed.

The Health Secretary smiled broadly and said he was "thrilled" as he left Downing Street. There had been earlier reports that he had lost his job or had been shuffled from his position.

Posting on Twitter after Downing Street confirmed his position, Mr Hunt added: "'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated...' Thrilled to be back in the best job in Government."

After sacking Mr Cameron's right-hand man George Osborne within hours of taking office on Wednesday, Mrs May has now taken the axe to Michael Gove, Oliver Letwin, Nicky Morgan and John Whittingdale.

Failed leadership candidate Mr Gove saw his Justice Secretary job go to Liz Truss, who became the first female Lord Chancellor in the thousand-year history of the role.

And Ms Morgan's former role as Education Secretary went to another promoted woman, Justine Greening, whose new department will be beefed up by the addition of responsibilities for further and higher education, skills and apprenticeships.

His long-running row with medics – and determination to introduce changes to a contract he says is “out of date” – has put him on a collision course with not only the British Medical Association (BMA) but powerful royal colleges, academics and even the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Mr Hunt, who was educated at Oxford University, is the UK's longest-serving health secretary after taking on the role in 2012 following a two-year stint as culture secretary. Many said he was brought in to keep the NHS out of the headlines following his predecessor Andrew Lansley's hugely unpopular reforms of the NHS.

But it was not long before he went into battle with junior doctors, with Mr Hunt saying he was motivated by research showing patients who are admitted to NHS hospitals at weekends are more likely to die than those admitted during the week.