Blair pushes health reform

Blair: Spoke to staff at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, before the summit

Prime Minister Tony Blair has hosted the first meeting of a ministerial group designed to push through the government's health reforms.

After the two hour health summit in Cardiff - the first top level meeting of ministers from all four parts of the UK - he said Labour's new money for the NHS would burst a dam of energy.

"The Prime Minister said that it was clear that in all parts of the UK, and all parts of the NHS, the case for reform was accepted," a government official said.

"He said it was clear that across the UK there was a shared determination to modernise the health service to deliver better healthcare and to deal with variations in performance."

Mr Blair was in the capital on the second day of his visit to Wales when he talked with ministers including Health Secretary Alan Milburn, Welsh First Secretary Rhodri Morgan, Scottish First Minister Donald Dewar, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson and Scottish Secretary John Reid.

The move marks the latest stage of the government's NHS modernisation plan which aims to get maximum value for money from the extra funds announced by the Chancellor in his Budget.

Everyone in this country wants decent schools for our children, good health care when we are sick

Prime Minister Tony Blair

Mr Blair wants to use the health group to draw on the expertise developed in different areas across the UK - Wales' tele-medicine, Scotland's one-stop clinics, England's cancer strategy and Northern Ireland's world-leading trauma treatment.

He rejected criticism from Plaid Cymru that this was London interfering in matters that should be devolved to the Welsh Assembly.

"It's not telling people what to do, it's trying to learn from each other's experiences," he said.

The meeting will discuss the reasons why there are wide variations in performance between different NHS trusts, how incentives can work, ways of breaking down traditional barriers between health professionals, and how inspections can be toughened up.

Before the summit, held in the Assembly's city centre building not at the main site in Cardiff Bay, Mr Blair visited a hospital in Swansea to hear first hand views on the current state of the NHS from medical staff and patients.

On Thursday, Mr Blair highlighted the need for his party not to fall into the "Tory trap" of accepting the notion that its "heartlands" areas had different needs from so-called middle Britain.

The Prime Minister tackled the issue head on in a speech at Merthyr Tydfil College.

Tony Blair visited Labour's heartlands

"So this is what is called the heartlands," said Mr Blair.

"There are people - part of the media, and many of our Conservative and nationalist opponents - who tell us to choose between the so-called heartlands and middle Britain.

"These were the people who said that by putting extra money in the schools and hospitals, middle Britain would be dismayed.

"What nonsense. Everyone in this country wants decent schools for our children, good health care when we are sick."

Mr Blair defended extra spending on health and education announced in the Budget saying the cash had been made possible by a well-run economy and lower state spending on welfare bills.

Mr Blair added: "Don't let anyone divide this country up.

"We all want the same things. We all have the same hopes and fears."