Blair details vision for ‘genuine’ health service
Prime Minister Tony Blair today set out his vision for a health service that helped to keep people fit and well, as opposed to merely treating them when they became ill.
The NHS had to be transformed from a “national sickness service” into a “genuine national health service”, he said.
As Labour shifted its focus onto public health, Mr Blair pledged increased investment in school meals, clearer food labelling, and investment in new sports facilities in schools.
Public health has moved up the political agenda of late, with a campaign by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to improve school meals attracting first media and then Government attention in the shape of a £280 million package to drive up standards.
But critics of the Government have accused it of “dithering” over public health.
Speaking today in Birmingham, Mr Blair said: “I want to create a genuine national health service with services that help individuals, families, children and pensioners to keep fit and well, not just a sickness service treating people when they are ill.”
He stressed: “I am not talking about a policy which forces people to do things they don’t want to do but a policy which goes with the grain of the health choices people are making for themselves.”
Mr Blair emphasised that it was not the Government’s place to bring up children. “Government’s job is not to make choices for people, but to help people make informed choices for themselves.
“This is Labour’s new social contract: we help you; you help yourself; your family benefits and the country benefits.”
The Labour leader also continued to stress the threat the Conservatives posed to the NHS, despite their leader, Michael Howard, yesterday signing Labour’s petition calling for the NHS to remain free at the point of use.
Earlier on Tuesday Mr Howard challenged Labour to withdraw all their campaign literature referring to Conservative cuts.
But Mr Blair responded: “We will not be withdrawing a single one of our claims about Conservative policy on cuts and charges. Mr Howard has made his policy bed, and he has to lie in it, and we will expose the reality of his cuts and charges plans between now and polling day.”
Liberal Democrat health spokesman Paul Burstow criticised Labour’s approach to public health, which he said has been to “consult, dither and delay”.
“It should not have taken a celebrity chef to get the Government to take action to improve the sorry state of school dinners,” he added.
He also described the Government’s approach to banning smoking in public places as “fudged”.
