The row over the treatment of 94-year-old Rose Addis descended into a bitter round of claim and counter claim yesterday.

As the hospital at the centre of the row sought to draw a line under the affair, politicians exchanged a series of blows over who said what about the events at the north London accident and emergency unit.

Iain Duncan Smith accused the government of smearing the Addis family, whilst Downing Street was forced to claim that it had not breached any patients' confidentiality during media briefings.

As it emerged that an official inquiry into the hospital had raised concern about the accident and emergency unit at the hospital, Number 10 was accused of "waging war" on NHS whistleblowers.

Reports today add spice to the story, claiming that the surgeon who has defended the Whittington hospital is a card-carrying member of the Labour Party.

Tony Blair will today use a speech on public services to attempt to take the sting out of the affair.

The speech comes as the prime minister suggested that Labour would be prepared to increase taxes to save the NHS.

As he seeks to put government policy back on course, he will say that NHS staff must be supported if real improvements in standards are to be achieved.

He will also say that Labour is fighting to improve public services whilst the Tories seek to "denigrate" them.