The financial crisis in the NHS is undeniably one of the biggest issues of the generation. But fixing the cavernous funding gap in social care is paramount if the nation is to save its beloved health service and support the country's ageing population.

There have been myriad initiatives aimed at hoisting the crippled NHS on to a sustainable, localised footing over the years but, as the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) notes, the NHS has a ‘history of false dawns' in this department.