THE new boss of the NHS visited a hospital in County Durham on his first day in the job.

Simon Stevens, 47, spent time meeting staff and patients at Shotley Bridge Hospital yesterday (TUE).

The former president of a US private healthcare firm started his career at the hospital as a trainee manager 25 years ago.

Rolling up his sleeves and tucking in his tie, he asked patients about what their care was like and how good the food was.

Speaking at the hospital, he said: Im spending my first day back in the job meeting patients, nurses and doctors here where I first started in the NHS.

Its clear from talking to patients that the quality of care is fantastic.

He then went on to visit Consett Medical Centre, where it seems the stresses of his first day had taken its toll as after having his blood pressure taken he was told it was slightly high.

He had been widely regarded as Prime Minister David Camerons preferred candidate for the job and was previously a health adviser to Tony Blair when he was prime minister.

His final stop of the day was the International Centre for Life in Newcastle, where he said the traditional way some NHS services are delivered no longer makes much sense.

He said that pressure on the health service is intensifying and that the traditional partitioning of services is no longer fit for purpose.

In a speech to health workers in Newcastle, he said: Our traditional partitioning of health services - GPs, hospital outpatients, A&E departments, community nurses, emergency mental health care, out-of-hours units, ambulance services and so on - no longer makes much sense.

He said care outside of hospitals needs to radically transform.

Mr Stevens also praised NHS whistleblowers, saying that patients lives are saved when courageous people speak out.

I know that for the NHS the stakes have never been higher, he said.

Service pressures are intensifying and long-standing problems are not going to disappear overnight. Successfully navigating the next few years is going to take a team effort - involving the biggest team in the biggest effort the NHS has ever seen.

Today we face new challenges, and will need new solutions, while holding on to the vital gains of the past. Fortunately, over the years the NHS has shown a proven ability to rise to the occasion."

Mr Stevens was given a tour of the International Centre for Life in Newcastle where he signed a wall that other notable visitors had also signed.

Some of these included Richard Dawkins and Sir Robert Winston and under his name Mr Stevens wrote in brackets Day one.

Speaking at the facility on the difficulties faced by the NHS he said he was sure the organisation would rise to the challenges it would face in the coming years.

"There are big changes facing the NHS but it has faced them in the past and always rises to the occasion," he said.

"Talking to the doctors and nurses today, people are quite optimistic about the opportunities that new medical innovations bring."