Expanding and reforming the NHS takes time. This is a ten-year plan for reform. But over the next few years patients will see major improvements in their local health services. The Labour government pledged to "save the NHS" when it was elected in 1997.
Since then, it has introduced sweeping changes to the health service - the biggest since its inception more than 50 years. There is scarcely an area that has remained untouched.
Many of the changes were outlined in "The NHS Plan", published in July 2000.
While many of the targets are long-term, it is now possible to gauge whether ministers are making progress and whether their goals are attainable.
Click on the subjects to the right to learn more about plans to reform the NHS.
Wednesday, 22 January, 2003, 17:23 GMT
