But the NHS must continue to change and improve, responding to the combined pressures of an ageing population, rising patient expectations and medical advances. We will ensure that the NHS is always clinically driven, patient centred and responsive to local communities. And Labour, true to our values of fairness, will focus particular priority in the years ahead on tackling health inequalities, so that as the health of the whole population rises, people are not left behind. This must involve improving public health and preventative services as well as primary and acute care - supporting people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families, and spotting the most dangerous conditions at an early stage when they can be dealt with most easily. And as demand for social care increases and older and disabled people rightly demand and expect more power and control over the care services they receive, we must review the way social care is funded and delivered to ensure that users and carers have fair access to the support they need and the dignity they deserve.

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