We are born into it, it is there throughout our lives, and we die in its care. As the National Health Service passes its fiftieth birthday, there is a growing fear that the foundations on which it was established are crumbling. This book looks behind the headlines and explains in a simple, straightforward way, what has happened to our NHS, and what future waits in store.The most recent NHS reforms - the internal market - will be replaced. But by what? Can the system be made more accountable? How can the balance of knowledge be shifted towards the patient? Is the NHS underfunded? Should some elements of NHS activity be charged to patients? Will the British public agree on what is an illness? Can this lead to rational rationing? Can the relationship between public and private sectors be made to work? The time for a fundamental debate on the future of the health system has come. It is a debate of great importance and one we must face now, before it is too late. In this extensively researched work, author and journalist Oliver Morgan traces the development of the NHS, assesses its current state of health, and opens the debate on its future