Addressing the NHS Alliance annual conference in Manchester on Wednesday, Dr Colin-Thomé said: 'Perhaps the C in (my initials) DCT should stand for corpse, not Colin.'

Dr Colin-Thomé, England's clinical director of primary care, made the controversial comment last week and it has been the talk of the NHS Alliance conference this week.

Health minister Mike O'Brien also took advantage of his appearance at the conference to defend PBC.

Mr O'Brien maintained that Labour's drive to improve quality could deliver enough efficiency savings to reign in NHS finances.  ‘The only way forward in these times is to continue on the reform path we are on,' he told delegates.

Earlier, shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley set out his vision of a drastically different NHS, where GPs commission all local health services for their population, including urgent and emergency care.

Mr Lansley said patients wanted GPs to make difficult rationing decisions about the care available to them. 

‘There will always be rationing in the NHS because we have finite resources. But ask people who they trust to make these difficult judgements - it's not the secretary of state, it's not PCT managers. The public are looking for someone they can look to, to manage their care.'