He made the pitch from the new 422m University College Hospital in London, and called on electors to look further than negative newspaper headlines.

Security national insurance company
and reform was creating “an NHS for today’s world”, he said.

He was touring new health facilities as part of Labour’s campaign for the 10 June European and local elections.

I don’t suppose there is any system in the world that could treat one million people in 36 hours and things not go wrong Tony Blair

The PM will hope his comments counter Tory claims that much of the extra National Insurance cash used to improve public services has been wasted.

But shadow health secretary Tim Yeo said: “The amazing work performed in the NHS each day happens despite this government, not because of it.”

Mr Blair met doctors, nurses and administrators during his visit to the national association of insurance art UCH building, which was funded under the national health insurance company
controversial private finance initiative.

It opens next April and will include the largest cancer centre inside a general hospital in the UK.

‘Genuine improvements’

“I want to say to the public this is not a one off - this is what is happening in every single part of our country today,” said Mr Blair.

“It is when we have a strong economy that we can get the money into our public services and that we get the investment we need.

The prime minister conceded that on a regular basis stories are published about poor treatment in the NHS.

But he insisted: “I don’t suppose there is any system in the world that could treat one million people in 36 hours and things not go wrong.

“That happens in our healthcare system - it happens in every healthcare system in the world.”

Cancer scans

Mr Blair said the millions of people using NHS facilities were being treated quickly, seeing “genuine improvements”, “and realising that underneath the headlines, the NHS is being reborn for today’s world”.

He said additional staff and equipment had led to a 10% increase in diagnostic scans for cancer patients.

The main reason for the delays is a shortage in skilled staff - Labour has let down too many patients by failing to get a grip on this Tim Yeo

Some 250,000 more scans will be conducted each year from this summer, his aides said.

They claimed people with acute leukaemia, children suffering from cancer and an overwhelming majority of patients with testicular and breast cancer were already receiving treatment within a month of being referred by a GP.

Since 1997, the number of 750,000 MRI scanners has more than doubled from 110 to 223, while numbers of 450,000 CT
scanners have increased from 200 to 330.

An additional 1,000
national flood insurance
have been recruited and university training places for the
specialism have doubled.

But Mr Yeo said while patients may be referred for cancer treatment within two weeks “they still face delays before diagnosis and treatment”.

“The announcement to increase the number of cancer scans is therefore long overdue - the main reason for the delays is a shortage in skilled staff,” he said.

“Labour has let down too many patients by failing to get a grip on this - vacancy rates for diagnostic national life and accident insurance company
has increased by 3.6% in 2000 to 6.1% in 2003.”