The health secretary has announced that NHS private and public sector cleaners will get the same terms and conditions "within weeks".

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Brighton on Wednesday, John Reid delighted delegates with the news that "two-tier" contracts would come to an end.

The government has been facing heavy pressure from unions to bring in the change, with recent scandals over hospital hygiene standards bringing the practice firmly under the spotlight.

Outsourced services have been accused of cheapening standards in a drive to bring down costs, while staff outside the NHS have been angry at receiving less for doing the same work.

But Reid said "cheapness can never be a substitute for cleanliness".

"As we go forward with that massive programme of reform called Agenda for Change, there is one more reform I intend to bring in as a priority," he added.

"There will be no more cut-price, two-tier cleaning contracts signed in the NHS - and that policy will start within weeks not months."