One would think it would be obvious to even the meanest intelligence, that socialised medicine can never be anything other than a grotesque failure. Someone ought to tell Mr. Cameron that a free market in medicine is the best solution to the task he has invented for himself. Free markets are always superior to the inept actions of government.

Carl-Edward Endicott, Los Angeles, U.S.A.

Looking at all this comments, I don't understand why nearly all of you are critictsizing the NHS when you should praising it. We live in a country where healthcare is FREE and open to anyone!
It is true that the NHS has become a grey elephant and no amount of money or reform will change that but that it is how it's going to be.
I wonder if any of you will be singing the same tune if you or anyone in your family will need an operation or treatment that will cost thousands!
I welcome the Tories making a specific pledge to increase health spending however for Andrew Lansley to vaguely say that this would be paid for by cuts in other departments simply will not do!
This is yet another example of the Tories making a pledge which are uncosted.

Edwin Jacob, Hounslow, UK

How long till Lansley is slapped down?

This isnt just a bit more spending. Its massive extra spending and would mean cuts across the board as well as new taxes.

geoff, lambeth,

Nulab doubled the spending and made it worse - why throw more money at the bloated behemoth? It has been shown not to work. It doesn't need more money, it doesn't need reformed. It needs disposed of.

Tinkering around the edges of it will not make the slightest difference - we need a new approach to health care, possibly a French or Scandinavian influenced solution.

In the name of god, stop throwing our money into the furnace to support the 'envy of the world' that strangely no country has emulated, and actually THINK for a change.

James, London,

Let us not get agitated about what Andrew Lansley says. It may be one of the BMA X-men looking like Mr Lansley! I knew that the mutants will take over at some time but I did not expect them inflitrating the Conservative party and pulling this off so soon!!

Roy, Manchester,

If the Tories want to modernise the health care in Britain, they should ditch the NHS model worked out for a post-war period when Bevan caved into the BMA bully boy tactics. Since then the patients have lost out and NHS works for its employees whose numbers are topped only by the Indian Railways.

Tories should copy the healthcare provision in France which is the envy of the world. The NHS cannot be reformed. Forget the delirious dream about NHS giving value for money, envy of the world etc.. The NHS model for left wingers,the unions and the doctors who work in it is Talebanism pure and simple.

If Tories have any chance of getting elected, they stop contemplating pouring more money in the bottomless pit of NHS, scrap the model and go boldly for the French model. There will be scare mongering initially from the BMA, the unions and left wing Labour, and once the patients are in the driving seat , they will be no going back to the warped NHS model.

Norman, Manchester,

Michael in London

Absolutely 100 percent correct.

Nulab - among many other initiatives, promises and improvements which came to nothing - confused improving management with increasing the number of managers.

The Tories, as well as increasing expenditure, should tackle the whole management ethos within the NHS and ensure that the existing expenditure provides value for money.

R Bingham, Lauzun, France

It is not the amount of money but how and where it is being spent.

Someone should take a long look at the correlation between inadequate, inefficient or ineffective NHS care and the numbers marooned on Incapacity Benefit. The results would probably be surprising especially in those with mental health issues for whom it is universally acknowledged that there is insufficient care to go around.

Since the private sector can more easily target difficult cases, should not the authorities be looking at better ways to outsource mental healthcare to specialist private clinics to obtain a better return on our money???? And would not better results at lower cost reduce the overall sickness bill to the taxpayers????

A little bit of joined up thinking would go a long way.

MS, London, England

Oh dear, so it's now clearer than ever -- Conservatives would tax us even higher than Labour, throwing yet more money down the great black hole that is the NHS. Tax is high enough; thats my vote to Labour then.

C Hall, Sheffield, UK

How to solve the NHS problem.

Give everyone a choice, they can either receive £1500 (the per capita cost of the NHS) or access to the NHS.

Thats it, problem solved, Hospitals that offer good care will get patients, those that dont, wont.

Dominic, Manchester, UK

When will we finally see a politician in this country who has the guts to stand up and say what every thinking person knows: the NHS is a system that does not work and no money in the world will ever make it work. Scrap it.

Chris, London,

The Tories CAN'T spend more wisely than Labour, because they're no wiser - as the Shadow Health Secretary has just demonstrated, as has their Leader with his so-rash promise to keep that loose cannon in post at least until the election.

Noel Falconer, COUIZA, France

What a ludicrous proposal, particularly on a day when we learn that we are paying more for our GPs and getting less out of them. That attitude wouldn't survive for five minutes in the private sector, and therein lies the answer: Rather than a central, tax-funded NHS, let us move to an insurance based system. Your insurance would be automatically provided by the state, unless you wanted to opt out for private insurance, in which case you would earn a tax break. If you need treatment, you could then "spend" your money - whether from state or private insurance - at either a private hospital/clinic/GP or an NHS one. If there were no other source of income for NHS services (ie no central "grants) then healthcare would become truly competitive, costs would be driven down and eventually (oh joy!) the sacred cow that is the NHS would be slaughtered.

The "founding principles of the NHS" have been tested to destruction but our political class is too scared to tackle th issue.

Michael, London,

I've read Lanley's interview with interest - and I'm delighted with his plans for our beleagured health service. The NHS must change in the coming years to reflect the fast changing nature of medicine and society, so the Tories commitment to the NHS is welcome news. It looks like the Conservatives are fast emerging as strong and credible contenders to replace Labour as the party of the NHS!

A word of caution though: The Tories should ensure their spending plans focus on frontline healthcare professionals (not 'the fat cat' pen pushers in the health service!) -
and in improving primary and secondary care services,

Judy Viitanen, PRimage, St Albans, UK

The Tories won't be Heir's to Blair for nothing! We should just stop thinking about our earnings as *our* money.

Peter W, London,

And of course for the money they'll demand even more reforms, which will immediately suck up all the money with no discernible benefits for patients.

Bill Q, Derby,

They really don't get it, do they? There are rivers of gold flowing through the NHS - where has it all gone? Where are the revolutionary ideas such as mixing the best of Private care with that of the NHS? Where are the reforms to a massively top heavy and inefficient NHS that are so desperately needed? Same nonsense, different party, different day, I'm afraid.

mnairb, Hove,

Throw good money after bad?

We need a government that knows what the word means. It means to balance private sector activity by setting and maintaining the rules (law). Anything else is asking for trouble and must be kept to an absolute minum.

The medical service should be run competitively by the private sector under the rule of law. If someone cannot afford a particular service then that should be provided through charity by those who wish to do so,

Throwing good money after bad has bankrupted us and one day our accounts will be done properly and show it. Meanwhile we live on more and more borrowed money.

Brian Gilbert, HAMPTON, Middx

A bidding war is not the answer to NHS problems.
It's all about how the money is spent, not how much money is spent.

Stan(expat), US, USA

What's the point of throwing yet more money at the NHS? All you'll see for it are more BMW's in the management car park and more freeloading staff with ridiculous job titles.

Simon, Chatham, Kent

Is this an example of caring, compassionate Tories ? After all, what better or more caring thing to spend money on than your health. I think the Tories have their priorities right. I fully support these plans.

Jo Sullivan, Liverpool, Merseyside

The Tories don't need to spend more money than NuLabour, in fact they could probably spend less, all is they need to do is spend it more wisely!

Leslie Corrin, Southport, England

where is the tax break for those who have private health insurance

Jon, Bristol, England