How do you solve a problem like the NHS? The Spectator asks the experts

So ingrained is the NHS as part of British life that it’s hard to imagine it disappearing. But it can’t go on as it is: its budget is being squeezed while its costs are rising and people are demanding more from it than ever. We want ongoing treatment for chronic conditions; exemplary care for our growing elderly population; the latest drugs; the highest standards of care across the country; and the NHS’s founding principles – the provision of universal care free at the point of use – to be adhered to.

Earlier this year The Spectator held its first health lunch with a round-table discussion to coincide with preparations for the first issue of Spectator Health, a new quarterly magazine focusing on health and wellbeing. The theme for the discussion was ‘Healthy optimism – delivering a world leading health service’, and the guests were the people who are shaping the future of healthcare in Britain – with representatives of clinical staff, patients’ groups, the drug companies creating the medicines of the future, and all parts of the NHS – providers and watchdogs.