Blair has pledged to revive the health service

Blair: "We are making the right start"

Government Announces Health Savings

The money is being found from the total to be saved from reducing bureaucracy in the National Health Service. The Health Secretary, Frank Dobson, said ministers were expecting even more in the future. He said he wanted to end what he called the "grotesque paper chase" in the NHS.

A significant proportion of the money appears to have already been saved through measures introduced by the previous Conservative government. But an additional twenty million pounds has been saved by not authorising the setting up of another wave of fund-holding doctors.

Other figures published today showed waiting times to be increasing sharply. Ministers blame the rise on the previous government. They say they're committed to cutting an extra one hundred thousand patients off the waiting lists.

Blair Hears Concerns Of Patients.

The need to cut waiting lists and increase nurses' pay were just two issues that patients impressed upon Mr Blair as he moved through the wards. He later spoke of his deep concern about hospitals nationwide and his commitment to re-direct funds from bureaucracy to front-line health care services. But he tried to dampen down expectations by adding: "The important thing, and what I noticed very strongly today, is everyone understands we can't change overnight. But they want us to make a start."

Determined To Cut Waiting Lists

Dobson: "delivering on manifesto pledges"

Frank Dobson defends the Government's health plans on the BBC's Newsnight's Dur: 6'46"

Speaking on BBC Radio ealier in the day, the Health Secretary Frank Dobson said - "About a quarter of the people accepted for cancer treatment have to wait more than a month before they get into hospital for the treatment and we are determined to bring that down."

He deflected questions about possible job cuts saying " I don't know whether anyone will be made redundant, but there certainly will be fewer people employed in this grotesque paper chase, and with the money that is saved we can actually do things for patients."

The announcements coincide with the publication of the latest NHS waiting-list figures which are expected to show a rise of around 100,000. Mr Dobson said " We can't do things instantly, we've only been in power 20 days. Last quarters figures were the highest they've ever been, and today's will be higher still."

Dorrell: trend was already downwards

Dorrell Defends Tory Health Record