Labour's Tessa Jowell has targeted women who use the NHS as the party launched "vote for the NHS" weekend push.

The move came as opinion poll evidence showed that women could hold the key to a second Labour landslide.

Following widespread criticism of a "gender gap" in Labour's election campaigning, the government's minister for women put a "feminised" NHS to the fore.

"Women are the main users of the health service and three quarters of the staff employed by the NHS are women, so women have a particular interest in the NHS and its future, she said.

The NHS is a leading political issue for female voters - with 50 per cent of women, compared to 41 per cent of men, ranking it the most important issue.

Evidence shows that more women than men still have to decide how to vote and Labour is hoping that by focusing on health it will woo the 23 per cent of female voters who have still to make up their minds.

Labour also believes that, as in 1997, a higher percentage of women than men will turn out to vote. In 1997 women cast two million more votes than men.

According to Jowell, women are also nine per cent more concerned about the "family friendly agenda".

"We will give NHS staff more support with improved childcare helping thousands of NHS staff - pre dominantly women - balance their familly and working lives," she said.

She said the Tories plans for health would hit all patients - but claimed they would hit women hardest.

"These are reforms that will benefit everyone and women most of all. But the Tories plan - their Trojan Horse strategy to force people out of the NHS for many conditions will hurt women most of all," she said.