Britain's free national health system is the most socialist model of healthcare in the world. Countries that are far more left-wing than the UK have a much greater mix of public and private sectors.

Their experience tells them that you need public involvement, through funding, to make sure that everyone has reasonable access to health care. But you also need the economic viability that comes from competitive provision of services. And the responsibility that comes from people paying at least part of their health costs.

But wouldn't it be easy enough to do all that in the UK? The government's 'foundation' hospitals and privately-run walk-in clinics are a (feeble) first step to diversity provision. Couldn't we then go on to divide the NHS into a series of competing German/French/Dutch-style 'sickness funds' and let people choose between them on the basis of what value for money they provided? And just cover basic services in that system (like those three countries again) but expect people to pay top-up insurance or top-up charges for more exotic treatment?

Despite its socialist NHS, the divide between the treatment which the richest and the poorest get in Britain is bigger than in any of these other countries. If you want equality in healthcare, use the market.