Fighting for Life

From the author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians, a gripping, provocative exploration of the NHS, told through the most critical moments in its 75-year history'The book the NHS has always deserved' Andrew Marr'Funny, intelligent and so beautifully written . . . a much-needed book' Chris van Tulleken'Brilliant' Adam Kay________________Since its foundation in 1948, the NHS has come to define our national identity; it even topped the "what makes Britain great" poll in 2022. It has made history (and the headlines) again and again - from cutting edge discoveries like the first 'test tube baby', to its heroic response to the Coronavirus crisis. But the NHS has also become a battleground for some of the fiercest political contests of our time, perceived either as a national treasure, or as a lumbering piece of state machinery in need of renovation. In Fighting for Life, bestselling journalist Isabel Hardman cuts through the sentimentality and sloganeering on all sides of the political spectrum. Packed with gripping stories from the people at the beating heart of this venerated institution - its nurses, its doctors, its patients and the politicians who decide its fate - this is the essential book for understanding our NHS, and who we are as a nation.

Isabel Hardman is the Assistant Editor of the Spectator and author of books including Why We Get the Wrong Politicians, a Sunday Times bestseller. In 2015 she was named the youngest ever Political Journalist of the Year by the Political Studies Association. She appears regularly on TV and radio, including Have I Got News for You, The Andrew Marr Show, The News Quiz, Today programme, Question Time and Sky News. She also writes columns for The Times, The Guardian, i, The Observer, Evening Standard, and the Daily Telegraph.