The Tory Health Secretary has been accused of breaking ethics rules after he heaped praise on a private health firm.

Matt Hancock hailed the Babylon GP At Hand app in an interview in the Evening Standard, saying he has it on his phone.

The article was printed "in association with" Babylon, which matches patients to NHS GPs for free – and offers a £9.99-a-month premium service.

A source insisted Mr Hancock – a former aide to Tory George Osborne, who now edits the newspaper – did not know the article was going to be sponsored by Babylon until it was published.

But Labour have reported the Cabinet minister to Theresa May and demanded an "urgent investigation".

The Ministerial Code says ministers should not normally "offer support to, pressure groups, or organisations dependent in whole or in part on Government funding".

The Code adds: "Ministers should take care to ensure they do not become associated with non-public organisations whose objectives may in any degree conflict with government policy and thus give rise to a conflict of interest."

Shadow health minister Justin Madders said Mr Hancock had repeatedly praised the app.

He told the Prime Minister: "I am writing to express my sincere concern that [Mr] Hancock may be in direct contravention of the Ministerial Code.

"Promoting pay-for-access health products, which Mr Hancock’s comments would appear to amount to, subverts the objective and principles of a National Health Service, free at the point of use and open to all regardless of means."

He added: "Would you please investigate whether the Rt Hon Matt Hancock received any form of gift, hospitality or payment for being interviewed for this newspaper advertorial?"

Mr Hancock said during his interview: "By serving some people more efficiently this technology allows more resources for the people visiting GPs directly.

"We should embrace technology that helps patient outcomes for those who want to see it."

A Department of Health spokesman said: “As the Health Secretary has made clear in the past, he holds no portfolio for any particular company or brand and regularly champions the benefits of a range of technologies which can improve patient outcomes, free up clinicians’ time and make every pound go further.

“We are working to create a tech ecosystem which allows all innovations to flourish in the NHS, a number of which were highlighted in the article.”

A representative from the Evening Standard told HuffPost UK the interview was an "editorial decision" and the Standard "retained full editorial control" over the content.

"The interview was subject to the full rigour of Evening Standard editorial judgement," the statement said.

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