I recently spent a week in Florida observing the fun and frivolous side of America that is Walt Disney World. As is always the case on holiday, I met a fellow clinician — an epidemiologist who couldn’t help but expound upon his fear for the USA if Hillary Clinton were to become president and introduce free healthcare. On deeper questioning I discovered that his real fear was that his tax dollars would be spent on those less fortunate than himself. This man assured me that there were many things which the NHS could not provide that could only be available in a privately-funded healthcare system. I asked him to name one, but he was suddenly unable to expand on this! I came away with a renewed belief that the NHS in the UK is to be celebrated, not berated. Yes there are some problems and funding will always be an issue, but the essence of free care for all at the point of delivery still, thankfully, remains the central tenet of the service.