What's ahead?

Spending on the NHS after inflation has risen by nearly a fifth, and the workforce by almost a quarter, compared to five years ago, the BBC reported in 2024, yet the number of patients starting treatments has barely increased.

Brillu-Ogden even said she feels like the NHS "is declining more than ever" with the system becoming "reactive" rather than "proactive", mainly responding to already-developed symptoms. The long waits to get in front of a medic often means treatment can come too late.

A core, and far simpler, answer is that "the NHS was not designed to look after the current size of population", Liu said.

The population of the UK continued to grow in the year to mid-2024, reaching an estimated 69.3 million people, the ONS reported in September. The rate of growth has also been higher in recent years, with the rise seen in the year to mid-2024 marking the second-largest annual numerical increase for more than 75 years.

The UK population is also aging, which in some ways reflects the success of the NHS, because people now live for longer, Liu said. But that means they also have a longer list of medical issues requiring care.

"The NHS is said to be a victim of its own success because the more successful you are, the more pressure you have," Liu pointed out. "These are multilayered demands on the services … and the demands are rising faster (than investment). As a result, it is proportionally less equipped to deal with the increasingly expanding problems."

There is still room to improve, Liu said. An integrated medical record system would save doctors significant time spent contacting different hospitals to gather patient charts. More focus could be placed on preventative healthcare as a way to reduce pressure; educating the public about sugar addiction, excessive carbohydrate intake, issues related to weight, and cancers.

But massive problems rarely come with straightforward shortcuts to solutions, Liu said.

For him, the NHS has, so far, been relying on the "goodwill" of everyone in the system, the majority of whom are "overworked".

Gao Kejing and Wang Jingli contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at zhengwanyin@mail.chinadailyuk.com.