Commenting on the resignation of the Prime Minister, Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents over 90 per cent of NHS organisations, said:
“Tony Blair will leave a lasting and positive legacy on the NHS. There is no doubt that the NHS is in a very much better state and is continuously improving.
“There has been significant progress in improving standards and quality of healthcare and reductions in waiting times that would have been unthinkable a generation ago.
“Perhaps the greatest achievement is the consensus that has been created on a tax funded NHS based on need not ability to pay. This argument has been won – at least for the time-being.
“Looking to the future, Blair’s successor will need to tackle the perception gap between patients, who are generally satisfied with the care they receive from the NHS, and the public who are much more negative.
“We also need a better narrative of NHS reforms that all staff, including clinicians and managers, buy into. Finally, it is time to see a shift in the balance of power from central government to local trusts where decisions are best made.”