The annual spend on health campaigns has soared from £2.04m in the 1997-98 financial year to £22.9m so far in the current financial year, which ends in March.
The Conservative Party has demanded an inquiry into the rise. Liam Fox, the shadow health secretary, said: "Even for a government so obsessed with spin and self-promotion, these figures are staggering." He said Labour should spend the money on tackling health problems.
Fox added: "We entirely recognise the importance of useful expenditure to promote better health and the interests of patients, but with the NHS in disarray, it's hard to see how such expenditure can be justified."
David Lammy, the junior health minister, said one reason for the rise was that the DoH had taken over the anti-smoking campaign, previously carried out by the Health Education Authority. The department had spent £54.53m on advertising and publicity on smoking in the past three years.
Lammy said new campaigns under Labour included sexual health, immunisation, social worker recruitment, tuberculosis awareness, walk-in centres and mental health.
In 1996-97, the final year of the last Tory government, the department spent £2.5m on ads. This fell to £2.04m in Labour's first year. Spending on other publicity has risen from £4.58m in 1997-98 to £18.04m in the current year.
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