Politics Weekly podcast: Happy birthday, NHS

Nick Watt and guests discuss the 60th anniversary of the NHS, which was marked by the Darzi review into its future In Politics Weekly this week, Nick Watt asks whether Lord Darzi's review into the NHS will make a difference – and why it took the government 11 years to act. Simon Hoggart, the Guardian's parliamentary sketchwriter, describes the scenes in the House of Commons when Alan Johnson unveiled the Darzi review. Simon says the "poor old NHS" only got "yet another wretched review" for its birthday. Joining Nick round the table is Ivan Lewis, the junior health minister. He defends the government's decision to wait 11 years before unveiling a review calling for a focus on the quality of care because Labour first had to fix a "basket case" NHS. Polly Toynbee, the Guardian columnist, says the Darzi review marks the end of... [read full story]