The Darzi report concluded that years of neglect by previous governments had left the NHS “in critical condition” and unable to give patients the timely care they needed amid an explosion in demand caused by an ageing, growing and increasingly sick population.

It said A&E was in “an awful state” and cited evidence from emergency doctors that long waits were likely to be causing an additional 14,000 deaths a year.

The prime minister said he was “absolutely convinced” that prevention had to be central to his government’s 10-year plan for the NHS, including tackling tooth decay, smoking and obesity. He said he was shocked to find out how many children were admitted to hospital to have rotting teeth removed.

“There’s diet, there’s healthy lifestyle, we are going to have to get into that space,” Starmer said. “I know some prevention measures will be controversial, but I’m prepared to be bold, even in the face of loud opposition. So no, some of our changes won’t be universally popular, we know that, but I will do the right thing for our NHS, our economy and our children.”

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