On 5th July, 1948 the National Health Service was born; a comprehensive preventative and curative medical service accessible to the entire population regardless of the patient’s ability to pay.

It was and remains one of Britain’s greatest achievements, a world class care service - free at the point of use - underpinned by research and medical development that is the envy of nations the world over.

Few people reading this right now will not know what it feels like to receive expert, compassionate care at the hands of NHS nurses, doctors and consultants, and to walk the corridors of our hospitals, kept running by an array of porters, cleaners, administrators and more.

Seeing for yourself a large hospital whirring away at full chat is a marvel; they are complex machines that require skilful management but done well, they are quite literally lifesavers.

Sir Alan Langlands, former Chief Executive of the NHS and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, is the new chair of Trustees at Yorkshire Cancer Research. He spoke to The Yorkshire Post about his grave concerns for the NHS, pointing to serious underfunding.

So why, then, has such a special national asset and institution been neglected to the point of it breaking?

Almost nobody understands the NHS as Sir Alan Langlands does. Former chief executive of the service and now the chairman of Yorkshire Cancer Research, he ran the health service for six years.

That is precisely why his words of warning, spoken candidly to this newspaper, must be heard loud and clear.

The NHS requires, says Sir Alan, a significant package of investment if it is to stand any chance of remaining the envy of the world.

If he is convinced that the NHS has suffered unacceptable declines in investment, at the same time as it faces the biggest act of industrial action in its 55-year history then nobody can be in any doubt that something has to change – before it is too late.

Former NHS chief executive Sir Alan Langlands is worried about our NHS - it is time ministers listened to him