Speaking at the launch of the NHS Confederation’s PCT network in London this week, he said that the key to selling difficult changes, which may include closure of hospital wards, was to make the case on clinical grounds.
The building blocks for change were in place, he said, including patient choice, new suppliers and practice-based commissioning.
‘We need to make the case for these changes and in that task I hope clinicians will be ambassadors,’ said Mr Blair. ‘This is a one-off chance for the NHS to prove it can make these changes work.’
He said taxpayers would no longer be prepared to support the NHS if reforms failed.
Earlier this year NHS chief executive David Nicholson said there would be up to 60 ‘reconfigurations’ of NHS services (GP, 22 September).
