Good health for all: reimagining the welfare state
With health inequalities widening, healthy life expectancy falling, and health spending and public finances on a concerning trajectory, there is increasing consensus that the current health and care system is unsustainable. Something has to change.
From the age-old problem of social care reform to the desire to move care closer to home, decades of conversation have resulted in little action to really tackle the fundamental challenges facing the health and care system. So how can we break this cycle? What’s needed to create a system that can meet the nation’s current and future health needs? And how do we make these big decisions under sustained financial and political challenges?
About this project
We want to boldly reimagine the relationship between people, communities and the state and offer a vision for what future health and care services could look like. This isn’t just about tackling today’s challenges; it’s about envisioning a health and care system that is truly fit for the future – one that can improve health in England over the next 50 years.
What we’re doing
This landmark programme of work will run over the next three years, allowing us time to consider the issues, convene and engage the sector and beyond, and influence change in the political and health and care sector landscapes.
Through a mix of in-depth, independent research and analysis, and public engagement we will:
Set out the challenges facing the health and care system and wider public services.
Engage with policymakers, health and care professionals, and the public, to understand what they want from a future health and care system.
Provide bold recommendations on the principles and key issues that need to inform and shape public services to improve health in England over the next 50 years.
Join us
We’re reimagining the future of health and care. But we can’t do it alone.
We’ll be working closely with colleagues and partners to develop our ideas, share our thinking and we also want to hear from you too.
If you’re interested in exploring the big questions facing the health and care system with us, we want to hear from you. Email us to find out more about the project and how you can get involved.
You can also engage with us, and other people interested in this work, on our Linked In project page.
Latest publications
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Demographic change and the welfare state
Since the welfare state was created in the aftermath of the Second World War, Britain’s population structure, patterns of work, health needs and sources of public revenue have all change...
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What does climate change mean for the future of public services?
Extreme weather, supply‑chain shocks and rising inequalities are affecting public services. Chris Naylor explores five implications of climate change for health care and other public ser...
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How can we fix health care spending? Views from across the political spectrum
How can we put health care spending on a sustainable footing? We hear four different perspectives on this thorny issue.
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Should we be concerned about a forecasted doubling of health care spending?
Health spending could double in the next 50 years. Our new long read explores what’s driving this rise and how we can create better health, not just treat illness.
Project team
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Adam Lent
Senior Consultant -
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Alex Baylis
Assistant Director, Policy -
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Dan Wellings
Senior Fellow -
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Deborah Fenney
Senior Researcher -
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Jen Thorley
Head of Marketing and Digital Communications -
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Luca Tiratelli
Senior Researcher -
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Robert MacDonald
Media and External Engagement Manager -
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Sarah Arnold
Head of Responsive Policy and Public Affairs -
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Sarah Murphy
Content Executive (stories)
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The King’s Fund Annual conference 2026: good health for all
Our flagship conference will bring together leaders from across the health and care system to explore the major challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
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