'Doctors and nurses fed up with Government's reforms'

Alan Johnson admitted that the Government had failed to keep medical staff on board with its sweeping reforms.

But he said he wanted to re-establish trust between patients, doctors and policy makers.

"Doctors, clinicians and nurses complain that they are fed up with top-down instructions and weary of restructuring," he said.

"They want a stronger focus on outcomes and patients, and less on structures and processes. This lack of confidence matters."

The nationwide review - the first of its kind - will be carried out by the new health minister, Professor Sir Ara Darzi.

Sir Ara, a pioneering surgeon from Imperial College, is due to deliver a report next week on the future of the NHS in London.

But in a major announcement the Health Secretary called on him to help transform the health service with a vision for the next decade. It should focus first on staff and then on patient care, he said, acknowledging the industrial relations crisis facing the NHS.

"We need to do more to make sure that the NHS keeps up with the changing demands and expectations of patients.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure that a properly resourced NHS is clinically led, patient-centred and locally accountable."

The review will be delivered early next year. However, Mr Johnson faces a serious battle to raise staff morale. Nurses, therapists and other staff are threatening overtime bans that could ruin plans to cut waiting times.

Doctors are calling for the resignation of the chief medical officer and seven out of 10 believe Labour reforms will kill the NHS.

The Health Secretary admitted that there was a negative mood across the NHS, but called for a restoration of trust. "I am determined to establish a new, closer, more robust social partnership between patients, practitioners and policy makers, based on trust, honesty and respect," he said.

As well as a wide-ranging review of service, Mr Johnson outlined new measures to tackle MRSA, the drugresistant hospital superbug.

A target of halving rates of the bug by April next year is unlikely to be met. One in four trusts is failing to meet a hygiene code introduced to tackle superbugs.

The Health Secretary said he would give more money to frontline nurses to step up the campaign for "safe, clean wards".

He also announced a doubling of the infection control squads to help hospitals with high superbug rates.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley immediately attacked Mr Johnson's review announcement as a major disappointment.

He had expected a statement on the creation of an independent board to run the NHS, he said.

"When he finds out [from the review] what is going on in the health service he has got another thing coming," Mr Lansley said.

"I was disappointed with what I heard and staff will be disappointed."