David Cameron on back foot again in new NHS row

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The Tory leader stressed his party's "dedication" to the NHS as he was put on the back foot again on the health service.

The latest controversy is over Lord McColl of Dulwich's links to Endeavour Health, which offers a national network of fee-charging general practitioners and other health experts.

The peer is Tory health spokesman in the Lords and declares he is a consultant on healthcare to Endeavour Health. The Times reported that he has also been named its non-executive chairman.

In a statement, Lord McColl, a consultant surgeon who worked at Guy's Hospital, played down his connections with Endeavour Health. "I was employed as a healthcare consultant and as such attended two informal meetings in two years," he said.

He also made clear that he was prepared to cut his links to the firm and donate the fees he had received, said to be £600, to charity.

But his involvement left Mr Cameron having to publicly shore up his party's commitment to the NHS.

"The Conservative party is completely dedicated to the NHS," the Tory leader told GMTV. "We want to expand the NHS and make sure it is as good as it possibly can be so people don't have to use the private sector."

He also stressed that Lord McColl had a distinguished NHS career.

The latest controversy comes after Tory MEP Daniel Hannan warned Americans against copying the NHS.

Labour labelled his comments "unpatriotic" after he intervened in the debate in the US over Barack Obama's health shake-up. Mr Cameron dismissed his views on health as "eccentric".