Rejuvenate or retire? Views of the NHS at 60 Editor: Nicholas Timmins This is the biggest single experiment in social service that the world has ever seen undertaken. Aneurin Bevan, 7 October 1948. Rejuvenate or retire? Views of the NHS at 60 Editor: Nicholas Timmins In association with “All the key players of the last decades are here, recalling the perpetual struggle to keep up with patients’ ever-rising expectations, to squeeze value from every pound spent and to prove the NHS idea can outlive us all. Succinct, pithy and memorable, this is a riveting window on the ever-revolving and -evolving NHS debate.“ Polly Toynbee, journalist and social commentator Published by The Nuffield Trust, 59 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP Telephone: 020 7631 8450 Facsimile: 020 7631 8451 Email:
[email protected] Website: www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk Charity number 209201 © The Nuffield Trust 2008. Not to be reproduced without permission. ISBN-13 978-1-905030-34-7 Designed and typeset by Michael Roberts at Susan Rentoul Design Printed by Q3 Digital/Litho and Modern Colour Solutions The Nuffield Trust The Nuffield Trust is a charitable trust carrying out research and policy analysis on health services. Its focus is on reform of health services to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, equity and responsiveness of care. CONTENTS Foreword 5 Chapter 3: “For the good of the patient” 122 – medical leaders Overview: the NHS at 60 – 8 calm before the storm? Sir George Alberti 123 Dame Carol Black 126 Chapter 1: “The greatest experiment” 32 Sir Graeme Catto 130 – politicians Sir Cyril Chantler 133 Sir Liam Donaldson 136 Lord Patrick Jenkin 33 James Johnson 138 Lord Norman Fowler 38 Bernard Ribeiro 141 Rt Hon.