Prime Minister Tony Blair highlighted the �30m programme when he visited North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke on Tuesday. The hospital has one of the 70 A&E departments that will benefit from the cash injection.

Mr Blair pointed out that nearly 15 million people visit A&E departments each year.

"It is a stressful and often traumatic experience. Most patients are very grateful for the care, treatment and attention they receive but too often they have to wait too long in overcrowded and uncomfortable conditions - particularly if their injury is a minor one," he said.

"Our ambition for the NHS is a quality service, a convenient service, a prompt service."

The money will be used to:

• Improve layout and increase space to assess patients as soon as they arrive;
• Provide better facilities for children with more play areas and specially designed treatment areas;
• Improve the privacy and comfort of waiting and treatment areas;
• Provide extra rooms for counselling;
• Modernise resuscitation facilities;
• Purchase new monitoring and x-ray equipment;
• Extend the use of video surveillance;
• Issue alarms to staff;
• Improve technological links between hospitals, GPs and social services.

Tony Blair is committed to improving casualty services

Health Secretary Frank Dobson, who accompanied the Prime Minister on his visit, said: "This announcement shows the real difference that this major plank of NHS modernisation will make to patients.

"Many of them have to put up with run-down buildings and failing equipment - and so do the staff. That's bad for the patients concerned but it's also bad for the staff."

The British Medical Association welcomed the appointment of an A&E specialist to spearhead the improvements.

Dr Ian Bogle, chairman of the BMA Council, said: "The appointment of an experienced consultant in A&E medicine to lead the improvement programme will help to ensure that the �30m cash boost is allocated to meet the needs of both the patients and the team of doctors, nurses and other health professionals delivering the care in casualty units."

Policy Manager for the NHS Confederation, Tim Jones said: "We welcome the cash boost which is part of the government's agenda for modernisation.

"We are particularly pleased that the money is to be spent on increasing capacity in accident and emergency departments, as the vast majority are coping with more patients than they were originally designed for.

"Further investment will be needed to bring them all up to standard."

The North Hampshire hospitals NHS Trust is to receive �610,000 from the modernisation fund.

The money will be spent on improving resuscitation services. It will also enable separate children's waiting and treatment facilities to be provided.

Mark Davies, chief executive of the trust, said: "This busy department sees over 50,000 patients each year and this money will help us provide the most up to date equipment and facilities for our patients and staff."