The NHS was created sixty years ago. In the aftermath of World War 2, Britain elected a left wing Government that promised to look after all citizens "from cradle to grave". There were four main pillars to the welfare state: social security, education, legal aid, and the jewel in the crown, the National Health Service.
The NHS is now embedded in the British psyche. The idea that you might get a bill for going to the doctor is shocking.
There is a private market as well. The leading provider is called BUPA.
But they are there largely for "extras": for people who want to jump the queue, or for people who want a few extra luxuries with their treatment.
The heyday of private medicine in the UK was the Thatcher years, when the NHS was seriously underfunded. Thatcher created an "internal market" to direct where the money went; but it was all still public money.
And whatever else the blessed Margaret wanted to do, she had to declare that the NHS was "safe in Tory hands".
NHS waiting lists grew during the 1980s. However, waiting lists were for non-urgent treatment. It meant that people might be left in discomfort waiting for hip replacements or cataract removal, but anyone who needed life saving treatment got it without question.
During the last ten years spending on the NHS has increased by billions every year. Much more is now spent on preventive medicine. Waiting lists have been dramatically reduced. And salaries for doctors, which were previously both at very low levels, have increased, although those for nurses have not increased enough yet.
And so to today. The Government and the opposition are both getting mighty angry at the attacks on our beloved NHS. Our health secretary, Andy Burnham,
today said the online Twitter campaign revealed a "global groundswell" of support from NHS patients and warned he would not stand by while the system's reputation was shredded.
Meanwhile, Sarah Brown, wife of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, has added her voice to the Twitter campaign to attack the NHS’s detractors.
I understand that a Tory Member of the European Parliament called Daniel Hannan has been trying to get a bit of publicity over there in support of your anti-reform campaigners. I am pretty politically aware, but I had not heard of this guy before today. Don’t be fooled into thinking he is some sort of respected political figure or leading thinker. He is an anonymous no-mark looking for the spotlight.
Mr Hannan used a speech in Washington to claim that the service was a "Marxist system" and warned Americans to "ponder our example and tremble". He also told Fox News that "you would much rather fall ill in the US". Writing on his blog today, Mr Hannan defended his remarks, pointing out that he wanted to "replace the current government monopoly in healthcare with a Singapore-style system of personal health accounts".
He is well out of touch even with his own party. The leader of the Conservative party, David Cameron, has particular reason to be grateful for the NHS. When his severely disabled son, Ivan, died this year,
For the Tories, William Hague, who spoke to Cameron before making his statement, said: "Ivan's six years of life were not easy ones.
"His parents lived with the knowledge for a long time that he could die young but this has made their loss no less heartbreaking ... He will always be their beautiful boy."
The Camerons were "hugely grateful" to the NHS care workers who "not only did their utmost for their son this morning but have helped every day since he was born", he said.
And today, he contributed to the debate, saying:
"it's incredibly important to me and my family" and that he believed in it "100 per cent".
That's what our right wing party says. Don't believe the naysayers.contributed to the debate
UPDATE:
David Cameron has now come back fighting against Daniel Hannan, and it is the lead story on the BBC News page:
Mr Cameron's e-mail said Britain was proud of the NHS and he would spend more on the service, but also make it more efficient and responsive to patients.