Patients could be offered one to one nursing care

In his five year strategy for the NHS, From Good to Great: preventative, people-centred, productive, Mr Burnham said the government will focus on helping patients with cancer and complex long term conditions who could benefit from a more personal approach to nursing.

The document said all parts of the NHS should continually review the way such conditions are managed and seek out and adopt best practice.

“Where appropriate this should include the provision of personalised one to one support by a health professional.”

The Department of Health will consider the plans and work out how much it would cost to give patients a right to this kind of personalised nursing care.

It will publish the results early next year.