THE Health Minister has rubbished claims that today's publication of a key report on the future of the NHS had been brought forward as a vote winner before a snap election.

Campaigners and opposition MPs have accused the Government of rushing out the interim report before a possible election in November, but Lord Ara Darzi dismissed the idea.

Asked directly on GMTV whether the launch was being done on Thursday as a "vote winner", he said: "The answer to that is no."