Senior executives from some of Britain's biggest companies are to join the boards of foundation hospitals to help them prepare for a newmarket-based health service.

Tony Blair will host a seminar today with health managers and representatives from companies including Tesco, Lloyds TSB, GlaxoSmith-Kline, Unilever and Smiths Group, under a scheme to make foundation hospitals with budgets of up to £500m more commercially-minded.