The party voted at its spring conference in Gateshead not to take an emergency motion urging the withdrawal of the Health and Social Care Bill.

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And the deputy prime minister said of the amended bill: "If I felt it was privatising the NHS or tearing it limb from limb, it would never have seen the light of day."

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Business secretary Vince Cable told the BBC: "We recognise reform has to happen. There are still a few issues to address, but by and large reforms that the party argued for have now been met."

It was "very difficult" to see why any Lib Dems should now object, he added.

Mr Clegg said earlier on Saturday that he believed members would be "comforted" by the large number of amendments made to the bill since it was originally published.

"I think it's a really good thing that Liberal Democrats worry as much as we do about something as precious as the NHS," he said.

"I think it would be a dereliction of duty if we didn't really really examine hard whether the changes we've introduced in the NHS are the right ones."

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Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said support for the Lib Dems was now at an "all-time low".

He added: "The party faces a bleak future of slammed doors at election time, and wipe-out at the ballot box...

"It is electoral suicide for Lib Dems to support this Bill and ignore the overwhelming opposition from the medical profession, patients, unions and the public."