NHS (60th Anniversary)

I congratulate my hon. Friend on the tone with which he has begun the debate, in which hon. Members of all parties will celebrate the foundation of the national health service. There have been huge increases in spending on the NHS, for which the Labour party deserves some credit, but a focus on outcomes rather than false targets will end the distortion of clinical priorities and of the value for money and excellent health care to which the expenditure should lead.