Government ministers predict a lack of improvement in the NHS will be the main weakness for Labour at the next general election, claims the Express. Problems identified include the failure to offer flexible appointment times to visit GPs, insufficient numbers of doctors within the service and inaction over staff practices.

To tackle the problem Tony Blair will announce the devolution of NHS budgets to doctors and nurses, the paper reports.

Meanwhile, a Patients Association survey has revealed that one in five hospitals has no decontamination policy to prevent the spread of infections.