Matt Hancock is new health secretary following Jeremy Hunt's appointment as foreign secretary

Theresa May was forced to reshuffle her top team after Boris Johnson and David Davis both dramatically resigned

Theresa May has appointed Matt Hancock as the new health secretary following Jeremy Hunt's promotion to foreign secretary.

The changes to Ms May's cabinet were forced upon the prime minister after cabinet Eurosceptics Boris Johnson and David Davis both dramatically resigned in protest at the government's new Brexit strategy.

Mr Hancock was only appointed as culture secretary six months ago but he threw himself into the role with aplomb, posting videos of himself learning how to moonwalk and doing parkour, as well as becoming the first MP to create his own smartphone app - called "Matt Hancock".

But he will have to hit the ground running at the Department of Health, which faces significant challenges over staffing levels, waiting times and patient care, despite a £20bn cash pledge from Ms May to mark its 70th anniversary.

"Really looking forward to joining @DHSCgovuk at such an important time for our great NHS," Mr Hancock wrote on Twitter.

"I can’t wait to get started."

He will be replaced by Jeremy Wright, the former attorney general, at the department for culture, media and sport.

It comes after a dramatic 24 hours in Westminster, which began when Mr Davis, the Brexit secretary, announced he was quitting late on Sunday night. Mr Johnson followed suit on Monday afternoon.

Both Mr Davis and Mr Johnson had backed Ms May's new blueprint for Brexit at a crunch summit at Chequers on Friday, when the prime minister thought she had managed to unite her warring ministers on the way forward.

But any hope of peace was shattered within the first 48 hours, when both men decided to walk rather be forced to back her plan under collective responsibility rules, where ministers are required to toe the government line.

In his letter, Mr Johnson told the prime minister that Brexiteers' dreams for an outward-looking Britain outside Europe were being "suffocated by needless self-doubt" and negotiators were being sent in with "white flags fluttering".

Downing Street announced his departure moments before Ms May had to face MPs to set out her Brexit plans, where she faced shout of "resign" from the opposition benches,

Eurosceptic Tory backbencher Peter Bone told Ms May how activists in his Wellingborough constituency refused to campaign at the weekend because they felt "betrayed" by the Chequers accord.

But she insisted her deal fulfilled the promises of the Tory manifesto to deliver an independent Britain able to take back control of its laws, borders and money, declaring: "This is not a betrayal."

Downing Street made clear the PM would fight any attempt to oust her by rebel MPs.