A dedicated tax is the only way that we can be sure the government is reflecting public wishes, argues Richard Layard, emeritus professor at the London School of Economics. He points out that Britain currently spends less on health as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) than other countries at the same income level - and that nearly half of Britons say they are willing to pay for a better service and almost none want it cut. “If, as in Germany, there were a dedicated source of funding for the healthcare sector, it would be much easier for public demand to be translated into action,” he writes.

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