David Hinchliffe, chairman of the Commons health select committee
"I look forward to having some robust exchanges with him as I did with Alan. John is someone I've always got on with. You would need to ensure at ministerial level that they know what they're doing. I'm not saying John doesn't, but he's got no direct experience of health as far as I know except in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, they have health and social services boards - a different structure. Whether he would be favourably inclined to something like that [in England] remains to be seen."
Dr Liam Fox, shadow health secretary
"This whole thing is a complete dog's breakfast. The absurdity of John Reid's appointment is that we now have an MP representing a Scottish constituency telling us how to run the NHS in England when he has no say over health policy in Scotland because the issue is devolved. How can this possibly be in the best interest of the national health service?"
Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat health spokesman
"What he has to understand, that Alan Milburn didn't is it's better running the Department of Health rather than the DoH and the NHS. It's one reason why even an able and committed minister like Alan Milburn couldn't manage two jobs - being secretary of state for health and making far too many decisions about the NHS - and a family life. I've always taken the view that we oughtn't to personalise politics, but he's a Scottish MP. There ought to be provision for decisions that affect only the English NHS to be decided in terms of voting by people in England."
Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive, NHS Confederation
"We look forward to working with John Reid. A challenging reform agenda is already underway in the NHS. The overriding priority of the new secretary of state should be to ensure a period of stability so that staff have the space and time to deliver this agenda and get on with improving patient care."
British Medical Association chairman Dr Ian Bogle
"I want to welcome Dr John Reid to his new post. I will be writing to him immediately to request an urgent meeting to discuss critical issues concerning the health service. The BMA looks forward to a positive working relationship with Dr Reid."
Dr Paul Miller, chairman of the BMA's central consultants and specialists committee
"I want to congratulate and welcome Dr John Reid to his new position. I will be writing to him immediately to request an urgent meeting to get things going and resolve the destructive impasse between the government and hospital consultants. We want to work with Dr Reid to develop an improved NHS for patients and doctors."
Public sector union Unison's head of health, Karen Jennings
"There is no doubt that the job of health secretary is a tough one but John Reid is no stranger to tough jobs. Unison is looking forward to developing a relationship with him to ensure we make a success of the NHS. We hope that he will concentrate on delivering real improvements in patient care and will put his faith in the NHS and in public sector workers not in the private sector."
