NHS and care funding

SIR – Professor Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, is right that joined-up health and social care is needed to meet the needs of a growing, ageing population (Comment, April 11). This is beginning to happen in areas like Frimley in Surrey and Greater Manchester, and other areas are following suit.

You are right to argue, in a leading article, that serious thought needs to be given to the funding of the NHS and social care, and the green paper promised for later this year should tackle this head-on.

A good starting point is the report of the Barker Commission, which argued for a single health and social care budget funded through targeted increases in taxes and national insurance contributions, restricting spending on some universal benefits such as winter fuel payments and free television licences, and changes to prescription charges.

Hard choices cannot be avoided if the Government wishes to provide sustainable funding for the future. Professor Chris Ham

Chief Executive, The King’s Fund London W1