Plans to expand the use of matrons in NHS hospitals have been unveiled by the health secretary.

The move to place matrons in emergency departments comes as a result of the success of reintroducing senior nurses to other wards.

Initial fears about the wisdom of such a move are said to have been misplaced and the scheme has proven popular with staff and patients.

Milburn sees matrons as vital in establishing clear lines of communication between staff and patients and between those walking the wards and senior hospital staff.

"The successful return of matron to hospital wards - with a modern remit and updated set of responsibilities - is already making a real difference to the quality of care NHS patients receive," he said.

The health secretary promised that £2 million pounds of new funding would be available for matrons to fulfil the new remit.

"Matron's successful return means we can now expand their responsibilities, particularly in accident and emergency departments, where 11 million NHS patients are treated every year," he said.

"These new budgets will give matron even more clout to ensure that the fundamentals of care are right."

Since April 2001, the matron scheme has appointed 2000 senior staff with a mandate to oversee improvements in patient care.

This role includes dealing with patient complaints, raising hygiene standards and ensuring that staff are polite and well presented.

A quintessentially 1960s figure, the matron was reintroduced despite misgivings from some quarters, after patient consultation revealed a longing for "old-fashioned" values during hospital stays.

Chief nursing officer Sarah Mullally welcomed the expansion of the matron scheme.

"I am delighted with the success that matrons have achieved in improving patients' experience in the NHS in such a short time," she said.

"Over the next twelve months matrons in every part of the NHS, but especially in A and E, will all play a key role in improving patients' experience, in the ways that patients' themselves want to see."

Shadow health secretary Liam Fox dismissed the plans as "yet another gimmick".

"What we require is better attention on clinical output and not yet more government targets and gimmicks," he said.

"It is clear that Alan Milburn still believes that with enough spinning we won't notice how much taxpayers money is being wasted on an unreformed NHS."