Hunt: I want to be health secretary until 2019

Mr Hunt was put in the Department of Health top job in September 2012, so he has already passed the four year mark. Remaining in post for a further two years would make him the longest serving senior minister in NHS history, surpassing Aneurin Bevan and record holder Lord Fowler.

Lord Fowler served in his ministerial position for five years and nine months and Mr Bevan for five years and five months. 

In the interview Mr Hunt also revealed:

• Plans to focus heavily on improvements to mental health services for children and adolescents, which he described as “the biggest single area of weakness in NHS provision”.
• His expectation that the NHS will increase the number of nurses in substantive jobs as it cuts agency nursing.
• A drive to reduce litigation costs “throughout the NHS”
• He believes the failure to investigate unexpected deaths uncovered at Southern Health was likely to be “a problem across the NHS”.
• The government has entered talks with unions over Agenda for Change contract reform, and is still planning consultant contract changes.
• He believes local NHS leaders have a responsibility to make the case for service reconfiguration, rather than politicians.

The health secretary also said he had “never been prouder” than after the recent publication of the Care Quality Commission’s State of Care report, despite the “grim reading” it provided, as it showed the NHS was leading the world on the transparency of its health services.