This year its 60 years old. Older residents may still remember how hard it was to cope with doctor's fees in the days before a National Health Service. The healthcare you got depended solely on how much, or whether, you could pay. It's easy to forget that is still the case in many countries including the United States – where people even on a reasonable income are crippled by debts incurred simply because they have been injured or fallen ill and cannot pay astronomical hospital fees due to "gaps" in their private health insurance. And for those without insurance for whatever reason the situation is of course even worse.

But responding to our diverse needs doesn't come cheap. As MP I've welcomed the tripling of investment the Labour Government has made into the NHS over the past ten years to ensure that everyone gets a good quality service and treatment within a reasonable time. Whereas in 1997 the NHS had just £600 a year to spend on each of us we now have nearly £1500 a year. Because of that we no longer wait several months or even years for treatment – now you are guaranteed to be treated within 18 weeks from the time you first visit your GP. (Of course you'll be treated more quickly than that if your needs are urgent). There's been other great news too – heart patients are getting angioplasty at the Conquest rather than at Brighton meaning speedier treatment, something I campaigned for last year.

But it's important that we look to the future and how our Health Service can be made even better for the generations to come. That's why I've welcomed Gordon Brown's vision for the renewal of the NHS and the specific plans he's announced for how we can improve the health of us all.

Key to that is a new emphasis on preventative care and early diagnosis. Already we've made the cervical cancer vaccine available on the NHS meaning that over 1000 women will be safe from contracting this disease. We'll soon be making blood tests, ECG's and (in some cases) ultrasound scans available when you want and need them, at your local GP surgery. This year we'll be offering men over 65 a simple ultrasound test to detect early abdominal aortic aneurysm, or Triple A - the weakening of the main artery from heart to abdomen which kills over 3000 men a year ---- eventually saving more than 1600 lives each year.

Screening for conditions such as heart problems, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease will be provided as a matter of course and we are looking into extending screening for colon cancer and breast cancer; conditions which affect the lives of 6.2 million people, cause 200,000 deaths each year and account for a fifth of all hospital admissions. In time everyone in England will have access to the right preventative health check-up to make sure that problems are detected and can be treated at an early stage – better for the individual and better for the resources of the NHS.

More than that, we want to see a Health Service that is available to all but that tailored to the needs of the individual. We've already increased patient's choice in where and when they are treated. Now there'll be more choice about how the treatment itself is provided. People with long term chronic ailments such as asthma or diabetes (of whom there are around 15 million) will have the opportunity to take control over the management of their health with the help and support of their consultant (if they wish to do so). New technologies will enable patients to monitor their condition via the internet or on the telephone, reducing the frequency of hospital visits and freeing up resources that can be used elsewhere.

Yes, I am proud of our NHS and all that our dedicated staff have delivered over those 60 years. Happy Birthday – this is a Party to celebrate.