A former health minister has called for an overhaul of how the NHS is run and funded.

Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb, minister for care and support in the Coalition Government, said if East Anglia is to avoid difficulties like those experienced with ambulance response times over the Christmas period a radical approach is needed.

“Putting up every band of income tax by 1p would provide vital resource for emergency services – ambulances and A and E,” he said.

“It would provide critical extra money for mental health which in our county has suffered significantly in recent years with unacceptable resources.

“The second step is a dedicated NHS and care tax. The great attraction is that if you have a tax that is shown on your pay packet which is ring-fenced for the NHS then people would have the reassurance that the money they were contributing was going to a service they really cared about.”