Writing in the Times, health secretary Alan Milburn has warned against blocking key reforms to the NHS, a move which could jeopardise Labour's chances at the next general election.

However, he denies that his comments are aimed at chancellor Gordon Brown and the Treasury, which has objected to key components of the reform plan to create "foundation hospitals" that have financial independence.

"There is no automatic correlation that tax-funded healthcare has to mean healthcare run simply by central government," he says.

Forum Response: BUPA

A spokesman for BUPA told ePolitix.com: "From its inception the NHS was managed from the top-down, a centralist approach of triple monopolisation (of supply, purchasing and funding). Whilst this created a health service to be proud of in 1948, today things are very different. Patients have different expectations. They want to be treated as individuals; they want to be a part of their treatment; and most of all they want to know they are getting the best and most appropriate care available.

"Alan Milburn's agenda of delivering patient choice, as set out in his article today, delivers a health service that can fulfil all three of these wants.

"As the Concordat (signed in 2000) stated, ideology should not interfere with care. Milburn's article progresses this idea. Giving Primary Care Trusts the power to purchase care from the most appropriate provider, will increase integration of the public, private and voluntary healthcare sectors. This will work to the benefit of the patient as capacity throughout the UK health economy, whatever the sector, will be used to best effect.

"Alan Milburn's article also argues the case for extending patient choice through the creation of NHS Foundation Trusts with wide-ranging powers. BUPA supports these aspects of Mr Milburn's agenda for the NHS: they would be important and appropriate steps forward - even if they do not in themselves provide a complete solution."