The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, promised Britain a National Health Service fit for the 21st century yesterday, as he unveiled proposals for the most radical reform of the service since its foundation in 1948.
Despite initial fears that the Prime Minister's announcement would be overshadowed by the latest Downing Street leak - this time about the euro - Labour MPs cheered Mr Blair as he promised an extra 20,000 nurses, 7,500 consultants and 2,000 GPs as the cornerstone of his government's national plan.
Mr Blair said the foundation of the NHS had been "one of the greatest civilising acts of emancipation ever known", and the challenge now was "to make the NHS once again the health care system the world most envies". To that end Mr Blair announced ambitious plans for:
an extra 20,000 nurses by 2005, with greater power to prescribe medicines and take control in wards;
7,500 more consultants, 2,000 more GPs and 6,750 more therapists and other professional staff;
an extra 7,000 NHS beds by 2004;
100 new hospitals by 2010;
the promise of an appointment with a GP within 48 hours for all patients by 2004;
a maximum waiting time of six months for in-patient treatment, and three months for the first out-patient appointment, by 2005;
an eventual target of a maximum three-month wait for surgery by 2008; and
330 new mental health teams to provide an immediate response to crisis.
To jeers from the Conservative benches, Mr Blair also confirmed a new agreement with the private sector to help fill gaps in the capacity of the NHS.
But he stressed he would never permit people to be forced out of the NHS for non-urgent care. "That would destroy the NHS," he said.
Mr Blair could not say for how long consultants would be barred from working in the private sector, and the Labour chairman of the health select committee cautioned him there would be "some unease" on the Labour benches about the proposed relationship with private health care.
Mr William Hague insisted the Conservatives would match Labour's spending on health and said the "real debate" was about how the money was spent. He also warned enthusiastic Labour MPs there would be a "vast gulf" between what was planned and what actually happened, while welcoming Mr Blair's "apparent acceptance" of a role for the private sector where it was of benefit to patients.