The growing crisis in the NHS and social care system can only be tackled if it is depoliticised, according to Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Norman Lamb, who along with senior health figures from the Labour and Conservative party, is calling for the establishment of a cross-party commission for the NHS.
Former Labour Shadow Health Secretary Liz Kendall, and Conservative MP and former junior health minister Dr Dan Poulter also back the task of finding long-term, sustainable solutions to the NHS away from partisan politics.
The three MPs will appear together at the Liberal Democrat conference on Monday afternoon, to highlight warnings on the diminishing ability of the NHS to meet demand.
Norman Lamb said: "The NHS is a national treasure, but its future cannot be taken for granted.
"Services are under intolerable pressure as funding fails to keep pace with demand. The evidence is overwhelming that rationing of treatment, longer waiting times, and deteriorating care will become increasingly rife if we carry on as we are.
"In a country with the world’s sixth largest economy, it should be possible to have a world-class, publicly-funded NHS free at the point of use, and a care sector where nobody loses out because they can’t afford to pay crippling fees."
Demand for services from the NHS is increasing by about 4 per cent every year, while the percentage of GDP that is spent on it is reducing.
The social care system is forecast to face a £6bn shortfall by 2020 according to the independent Health Foundation
Mr Lamb has also launched a consultation on the introduction of a NHS specific income tax, which would ring fence a possible one pence per pound earned for the NHS budget, and appear on people’s payslips as such.
Mr Lamb said: "Paying for [the NHS] out of the general tax pot results in real distortion of other priorities.
"Simply protecting health spending during tough economic times means that other vital services like education take a disproportionate hit.
"My belief is that if people could see that their money was going directly to the NHS and, critically, social care, then they would be prepared to pay a bit more if it was clear that it was needed."
Mr Lamb told reporters: "Everyone knows the NHS needs more money and people are scared, political parties are scared, very nervous, about saying anything about tax.
"Political parties see it as not in their interests to be completely honest about the scale of the problem, and so nothing is said.
"There's complete dishonesty with the public about this, and yet all the professionals know how dire the situation is."
