The Liberal Democrats will today promise to scrap all charges for eye and dental checks.

Unveiling the party's health policy, Sir Menzies Campbell, the deputy leader who is standing in for Charles Kennedy, will promise to "cut charges in the NHS" and "reinvigorate the founding principles of fairness in the NHS".

The Lib Dems will also set out its plans for free personal care for the elderly and those with debilitating long-term illnesses.

Meanwhile, over two thirds of the doctors who publicly declared their support for Tony Blair in 1997 are no longer urging voters to back Labour.

The Times reports that many of the 59 doctors who signed a letter of support said that they felt let down.