Lord Warner's recent proposal to introduce a £10 monthly fee to use the NHS, and £20 for every night in hospital, is the last in a long line of ideas and announcements that have brought the party into disrepute. Lord Warner, who previously advised Tony Blair on health reform, said the NHS was ‘unaffordable’, ‘out-of-date’ and unable to meet the needs of the population. A strong message needs to be sent to the public that he does not speak for the Labour Party, who created the NHS in 1948 to meet patients needs that was free at the point of use, paid through general taxation. Funding the NHS accounts for less than 10% of our nations GDP, which is excellent value to live in a civilised society.