Tory health spokesman Liam Fox was meeting North Yorkshire pensioners today on a fact-finding tour across the region.

Mr Fox was expected to speak with residents of the Somerset Nursing Home at Wheldrake, York. His visit was part of a tour across Yorkshire and the north east at which Dr Fox - a former GP in the NHS - was speaking with people involved in health care.

Dr Fox was being accompanied at Wheldrake by Selby's Conservative candidate, Michael Mitchell.

Mr Mitchell recently called for major reform of health care funding for the elderly during a visit to the Lake Side Nursing Home, at Kelfield.

He said: "I am appalled at the way the Government is systematically under-funding homes like this"

Updated: 13:31 Monday, May 21, 2001