The NHS has sadly become an unaffordable luxury we must now break-up and transform beyond recognition, or it will simply wither and die before our eyes.

When it was conceived and introduced in 1948 it was a quite magnificent organisation and over many decades became the envy of countries all round the world.

But, no matter how sad or painful it is, we must accept that in its current format, it’s had its day and it would be better to force through a radical overhaul now than lose the idea of care for all completely.

Change is never easy, but a combination of people living longer, ever-more development of medicines, the avarice of pharmaceutical companies and massive mismanagement within the service, mean our beloved NHS is no longer sustainable.

This British institution has always been a political football but it doesn’t matter where you nail your colours there’s no getting away from the fact none of the above can be reversed, or even slowed.

Life expectancy will continue to increase, placing more stress on the creaking system every year, and the rate at which ever-more elaborate (and therefore expensive) cures are discovered and developed will continue to grow exponentially.

The level of mismanagement has increased at a rate to match the larger level of funds the service has demanded over the years and is now irreversible.

'It’s time to recognise the NHS is a terminal case so we can concentrate on creating the next generation of healthcare...'

Put simply, the only people within the organisation capable of introducing change are the very people set to lose the most by effecting such change and therefore the position of inertia is retained.

Even if, by some miracle, those at the top of Europe’s biggest employer did finally develop the will to effect change themselves you can be sure the section of the 1.7m employees affected wouldn’t include their elite group.

So, changes will have to be instigated by a government with the foresight and bravery to tackle this potential vote loser. The current annual sum pumped into this cash-hungry monster is £160 billion and the figure will only rise if we allow the NHS to continue to limp along as it is.

Current management structures have to be dispensed with and control devolved to smaller, more local units. The NHS has simply become far too large – apparently the fifth largest employer in the world – to operate effectively.

Whilst it is increasingly accepted it is impossible for a single, huge organisation to provide medical care across the board, sadly misplaced sentimentality for the service means to date no-one has been brave enough to be radical enough.

It’s time to recognise the NHS is a terminal case so we can concentrate on creating the next generation of healthcare.

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