The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has defended his plans for sweeping changes to the NHS in England.

Speaking on the Today programme in advance of his address to the Royal College of GPs at their conference in Harrogate, Mr Lansley conceded there would be "very substantial change" to the NHS.

But he added that reforms would be introduced "over the course of the next two-and-a-half years and in circumstances where there will be two full financial years, during which first the general practices in consortia will be able to establish how they see it working, and then to actually to see it work during the course of a whole year".

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