Tony Blair has warned that moving away from public service reform would be a "collective mistake of absolutely historic proportions". Foundation hospitals represent just one part of the reform programme, said the Prime Minister.
Speaking at the Savoy Hotel, London, the Prime Minister said that much of the debate "is about Foundation Hospitals, freeing up local hospitals from central control, allowing them to innovate and develop new services, whilst remaining firmly within the NHS".
He added:
"But in reality they are only one part of a series of changes we need to make: bringing new providers into elective surgery to reduce waiting times for NHS patients, whether those providers are from the NHS, the private sector or abroad."
The reforms have the one common purpose of changing the "one size fits all" concept of public services, he said. He argued that the same principles should be pushed through all parts of our public services.
"The public has paid its money. It now expects the results. And I know that it is up to Government and front line staff alike to show that money matched with reform can deliver results."
Speaking at the Savoy Hotel, London, the Prime Minister said that much of the debate "is about Foundation Hospitals, freeing up local hospitals from central control, allowing them to innovate and develop new services, whilst remaining firmly within the NHS".
He added:
"But in reality they are only one part of a series of changes we need to make: bringing new providers into elective surgery to reduce waiting times for NHS patients, whether those providers are from the NHS, the private sector or abroad."
The reforms have the one common purpose of changing the "one size fits all" concept of public services, he said. He argued that the same principles should be pushed through all parts of our public services.
"The public has paid its money. It now expects the results. And I know that it is up to Government and front line staff alike to show that money matched with reform can deliver results."