We constantly read of reports and inquiries into the problems of our health and care services.
Whether it is care assistants, inspections, waiting times or long-term care, every day seems to bring a new story about how our health service is struggling.
The truth is, if we want good, comprehensive, universal care, we will have to find a way to pay for it. The obvious route is taxation, whether directly, in the form of a levy or giving tax benefits to private health insurance. Yet this would be hard to sell to the public.
READ MORE: {}
Why?
Because, while the NHS generally delivers good care for a reasonable cost, many patients feel social care is of a low quality.
Others have witnessed inefficiency and poor treatment in their local hospitals. They will not be content to see taxes go up simply to pay for more of the same.
Many of our health career structures and much of our training still seem stuck in the 19th century.
We must develop new skills and structures for today. From care assistants to consultants, from matrons to health technologists, we need to rethink career development in the health service totally. Even our definition of what a doctor is will have to change in the future.
Most Read
We need to remove the divide between health commissioning and social care to create whole person care. This will raise some fundamental issues about what is included in universal healthcare.
Does it make sense that we offer little support to people who wish to maintain good health, but expect no contribution from people who visit their GPs ten or 20 times?
The answers to these questions will be controversial, but they must be found if we are to find an equitable, affordable way of meeting expanding expectations and increasing routes to access healthcare.
If we tackle them head-on, we will be as bold as a Butler in education, a Beveridge in welfare or a Bevan on the NHS. That is an ambition well worth fighting for.
* Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya is a Labour peer and founder of Warwick Manufacturing Group