Gordon Brown called for the NHS to transform from a health service into a "well-being" service, saying more needed to be done to help people avoid illness by leading healthy lives.
Speaking on a surprise visit to a "citizens' jury" of NHS staff and patients in Birmingham, the Prime Minister pledged to make better access to GPs and hospital services a government priority in the coming months.
Mr Brown joined Health Secretary Alan Johnson, who earlier met patients, hospital managers and medical staff at one of nine consultations held simultaneously around the country.
After joining in round table discussions with delegates, the prime minister said he had identified three main areas of concern: how to get better access to health services, how to ensure quality of services and what can be done to help people lead healthier lives and avoid illness.
"Everybody wants the NHS to be more personal - not to treat people as numbers, but as individuals," he said. "We need to build heathcare around the needs of the family and the individual.
"We have got to do more on cleanliness, more on safety and more on prevention, so that we have not merely a National Health Service, but a national well-being service."
Mr Brown said he recognised that illness did not strike on a nine-to-five basis, and working people may need to see their GP in the evening or on weekends.
"Improved access to GPs and hospital services will be one of the priorities in the next months. We need a whole range of services for people who work late."
The Prime Minister praised the efforts of Britain's 3,000 matrons, and said the government was looking at employing more to ensure hygiene and cleanliness on hospital wards.
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Earlier the health secretary Mr Johnson said the debate on healthcare needed to move away from questions of structure, and focus on quality and delivery of care.
