The NHS in England has become the poor relation of the service in other parts of the UK, a patients' group said today.

The Patients Association said devolution had led to a widening gap between NHS provision in England and the rest of the UK, with patients in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland getting a better deal.

Michael Summers, vice-chairman of the association, said patients in Scotland enjoyed free personal care for the elderly, while those in Wales enjoyed free prescriptions. In contrast, patients in England were means tested for personal care and had to pay for prescriptions.

Summers told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we should follow best practice. The best practice is that which they have discovered in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"They have all said that people should have free prescriptions and that we should look after our elderly people. England, for some reason, seems to have been the poor relation."

His comments came after the head of the NHS Confederation said there were now four different health services operating in the UK, and that the differences between them were likely to increase.

Dr Gill Morgan, the organisation's chief executive, told the BBC News website: "We basically have four different systems, albeit with the same set of values.

"This period (since devolution) has been unique in the history of the NHS as it was essentially the same across the UK before devolution. We have had a complete split in philosophy."

She said England had concentrated on cutting waiting times and offering patients more choice; Scotland had introduced free personal care; Wales had introduced free prescriptions; and Northern Ireland had fully integrated health and social care.

Dr Morgan said it was too early to say which system was more successful as each had its advantages but she said the differences were expected to become even greater.