I remember chatting to boog at university, where he was doing economics. He pointed me at an economic study which indicated that the NHS increased the average life expectancy of people in this country by 3 years. If that money were spent on things like community health projects instead, life expectancy would realistically rise by up to 10 years. The economics of the NHS continually fascinate me, and I object to the incessant silent taxation through national insurance; if it actually did what it said on the tin, I would less so.
Whilst i wouldn't advocate the privatisation of the NHS at this time, I would advocate removing the administration of national insurance from central government control, in the same way as was done with the Bank of England.