Milburn retreats on NHS 'choice' pledge

Health Secretary Alan Milburn appears today to have retreated from one of Labour's key manifesto pledges on the NHS which guaranteed a booked hospital appointment for every patient at a time of their choosing.

The retreat threatens further damage to the Government at a time when a fierce political battle is raging over the standard of treatment in hospitals.

In Labour's general election manifesto it was stated: "By the end of 2005 every hospital appointment will be booked for the convenience of the patient, making it easier for patients and their GP to choose the hospital and consultant that best suits their needs."

But today that commitment appeared less strong with the appearance of the word intention.

A press release quietly issued by the Department of Health states: "Ultimately the intention is that by 2005 all patients will be able to book a convenient time and place for their treatment at the point they are referred to a hospital by their GP."

There was more confusion when a health official said it was not an intention, but "a target".

The uncertainty arose as a new MORI poll conducted for Channel 4's Powerhouse programme cast fresh doubt over the public's satisfaction-with the NHS. The poll showed that most people say they or a relative were treated promptly, but a sizeable number, 27per cent, said there was an unreasonably long wait for treatment.

The poll, conducted among 1,000 people across Britain, found that a large proportion, 85per cent, said the NHS provided good quality treatment. However, 13 per cent complained of poor treatment - a large enough minority to trouble the Government as it struggles to deliver noticeable improvements within the health service.

In 1999, Tony Blair ordered a £20 million boost to "revolutionise" the NHS with on-the-spot appointments for hospital consultants and operations which, it was claimed, could save the taxpayer £250 million a year.

He said the money would pay for another 60 computerised projects, and that by 2001 it would allow more than two million people to have appointments made and confirmed by their GPs before they even left the surgery.

But the Department of Health could not confirm today whether the two million figure was reached last year. A spokesman said they were on course to achieve five million booked appointments by the end of March this year, but he could not say what the current number stood at.

Asked about the 2005 commitment, he described this as a " target", saying: "We are confident that we can achieve this, and the target of five million appointments this year is part of that."

Difficulties with computerisation within the NHS have made it hard for some GP surgeries to introduce the booked admissions scheme. It later emerged that Mr Blair spoke this morning to doctors at a conference in London, but Downing Street said this was a purely private event.

Mr Milburn also addressed the audience, which his officials said was a "doctors' forum" to inform health professionals about the changes being made.

In the past, the Prime Minister has made it clear that if the health service is to be a modern, 24-hour operation which treats patients as consumers rather than passive recipients, it has to embrace new technology.

Booking a convenient hospital appointment is seen as key to changing the way the NHS runs, not least because patients are far more likely to turn up on time.