The former Conservative Chancellor Nigel Lawson once described the NHS as the closest thing we have to a national religion. A phrase that suggested he had, at least part of, his finger on the pulse of the nation. Polling consistently puts the NHS top of our concerns. Forged in the penniless post-war years it has survived and thrived in the rockiest economic storms since. Today our health and social care system has a Titanic-sized financial hole. The combined deficits of NHS trusts have reached £1.6bn this year. A sea brimming with icebergs has forced NHS Captain Simon Stevens to send out a Mayday call with 'five tests' that the Comprehensive Spending Review must meet to guarantee the NHS's modest plans . Will the Government plug the leak or sink services? On public health, the Government has already confirmed in-year cuts of £200m for local authorities - somewhat departing from the commitment to a "radical upgrade in prevention and public health." N