The Conservatives have put plans to unveil policy on health on the backburner for another year with Central Office believing voters still have too much faith in the government's capacity to reform the NHS.

"There is no point in making big policy announcements in this sort of environment," a senior party figure told the FT.

"We believe the extra spending on the NHS will not work because the necessary reforms have not taken place, but we need more time for the public to see that."