Health secretary John Reid has unveiled plans for new fast track NHS diagnostic and treatment centres.

The privately operated centres will perform routine operations to provide additional capacity to the NHS.

The controversial policy will see over 100,000 operations being performed on patients requiring treatment such as knee and hip replacements.

Forum Response: Help the Aged

Jonathan Ellis, policy manager (health and social care) at Help the Aged, told ePolitix.com: "Help the Aged welcomes the development of new capacity within the health care system, and the strengthening of the partnership between the NHS and independent sector.

"For many older people, waiting for treatment can have disastrous consequences on their quality of life and their overall well-being. The potential gains in ensuring that older people are treated more quickly go far beyond merely reducing waiting times, provided that appropriate care and support is available to people following treatment to enable them to regain their independence."