Blair's bid to woo middle-class voters

Tony Blair stepped up his drive to win back middle-class voters today promising "guaranteed" treatment times for patients on the NHS.

The Prime Minister also vowed to give "personalised support" for victims of crime.

In a keynote speech in London designed to restore voters' faith in public services, Mr Blair outlined plans for a massive reduction in hospital waiting times.

"We will set out tomorrow a new guarantee of treatment within a set time which starts the moment a patient is referred by their GP, not the time they get on to the queue for their operation. Every patient will have the right to be seen and treated in this period with a choice of which provider undertakes the treatment."

And he said the personalised service would be extended to policing.

"We will reintroduce community policing for today's age, with dedicated policing teams of officers and community support officers focused on local priorities, implementing tough new powers to deal with anti-social behaviour," he told an audience at St Thomas' Hospital. "There will also be personalised support for every victim of crime as we introduce a new witness care service nationwide."

His bold promises received short shrift from Opposition leader Michael Howard, who also set out his plans for a modernised NHS.

Only the Conservatives, said Mr Howard, would introduce real choice in the health service. He warned that Labour would "lie, lie and lie again" about the Tories' proposals.

"Labour do not own the freehold to this debate," he said. "The Conservatives want to introduce real choice.

The kind of choice that will make the NHS a better place to work."

Mr Howard launched a 26-page booklet explaining how the party intends to give parents and patients the "right to choose" their schools and hospitals.

In his speech Mr Blair acknowledged that the stand a r d s o f Britain's health care and education are the "battleground" for the next general election. He attempted to spike the Tory leader's guns by promising Labour will use its third term to promote "personal choice" within the NHS.

Mr Blair claimed the growing capacity in the public services has allowed Labour to "accelerate reform" and extend choice.

"We have the opportunity to develop a new generation of personalised services, where equity and excellence go hand in hand - services shaped by the needs of those who use them, services with more choice extended to everyone and not just those that can afford to pay.

"Services personal to each and fair to all. This is the battleground for the future of our public services," he said.

Amid fears that middle England is attracted by the Conservative theme of a "right to choose", Mr Blair will also make an appeal for the middle classes not to desert New Labour.

"We need to ensure that the middle classes continue to see the public services as for them," he said.

But his promise of further modernisation of the NHS, part icularly the extension of choice, will infuriate Labour's traditional supporters in the unions.

Union leaders have already called for a halt to reforms such as the use of the private finance initiative.

Health Secretary John Reid is likely to inflame further tensions with the unions when he announces his fiveyear health plan tomorrow.

It will include proposals to hand over responsibility for pay and conditions for the

1.3 million NHS staff to an employers' body, independent of Whitehall.