RCN statement on Lord Ara Darzi

Published: 15 July 2009

For immediate release: Tuesday 14th July

Commenting on news today (14 July) that Lord Ara Darzi will stand down as a government minister, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), paid tribute to his contribution to the health service. He said:

"Lord Darzi has been instrumental in shifting the focus of health reforms to where they should be, which is on providing quality care. We want to pay tribute to Lord Darzi, especially for putting clinical staff at the centre of this vision. He leaves a lasting legacy on the health service and it will be important to continue to focus on quality and safety and not to let financial pressures take centre-stage over the coming months and years.

"Lord Darzi's commitment has stemmed from his front-line experience in the NHS which is welcome as it shows how a focus on quality over targets will ultimately help to improve care for all."
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Notes to Editors

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Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses, healthcare assistants and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.