It will take more than cash to repair the NHS

Gordon Brown’s April 2002 Budget speech remains one of the few memorable political moments of my lifetime.

I can still recall how I felt hearing him announce what he described as a “kiss of life” for the NHS 40bn additional funding over five years , paid for by hikes in National Insurance .

Public satisfaction with the health service hit an all-time high of 70 per cent in 2010 .