The Labour Party’s efforts to make December’s general election all about the future of the NHS failed resoundingly. It was Brexit wot won it, to borrow from a famous tabloid newspaper headline. But if the promise of finally taking Britain out of the EU helped to win over disaffected voters, particularly in the North, Boris Johnson knows that delivering a step-change in the performance of the health service is what will keep them Conservative five years from now. That is why the NHS will continue to make headlines even though its finances are a done deal. Enshrined in law is the promise of a £33.9bn cash increase in healthcare spending four years from now. What is still up for debate is how that cash is deployed. Fresh from victory in Brussels, there appear to be ministerial moves to “take back control” of NHS England from its powerful chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, as part of yet another shake-up.... To continue reading, become a subscriber or register for free Already a subscriber? Log in