A West Midlands MP has left his job as a health minister the day after he said overcrowded hospitals had seats available for patients instead of beds.

Philip Dunne, Conservative MP for Ludlow in Shropshire, lost his job as Prime Minister Theresa May continued the reshuffle of her government.

On Monday, he told the House of Commons that hospitals which ran out of beds could offer patients seats instead, as he responded to questions about the winter crisis facing the NHS.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne
Ludlow MP Philip Dunne

He said: "I am absolutely prepared to apologise today to patients who are not able to be treated as quickly as we would all like them to be treated.

"There are seats available in most hospitals, where beds are not available."

It's unclear whether Mrs May's decision to remove him from the post was connected to the comment.

Mr Dunne told the Daily Telegraph after losing the Ministerial job: "I have been very proud to have been a defence and health minister for five and a half years. I wish the Government well and will support it from the backbenches."

The Prime Minister made changes to her Cabinet on Monday, but faced a challenge to her authority as former Education Secretary Justine Greening refused to be accept a new role as Work and Pensions Secretary, and instead resigned from the Government.

Mrs May was also unable to persuade Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Business Secretary Greg Clark to swap jobs, with both Cabinet Ministers staying where they were.

She is now making changes to junior ministerial roles.

Mark Garnier
Mark Garnier

As well as Mr Dunne, casualties included Worcestershire MP Mark Garnier, who represents Wyre Forest and lost his job as a Trade Minister.

He had been criticised after a former secretary claimed he had given her money to buy two vibrators at a Soho sex shop and once referred to her as "sugar tits".

A Cabinet Office investigation found he had not breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct, on the grounds that he had not been a Minister at the time.

Mr Garnier said on Twitter: "Very sad to have lost my job at @tradegovuk but looking forward to supporting @theresa_may Government from the backbenches."