More than £40 billion will be spent on the National Health Service during the next five years as a result of Gordon Brown's Budget.

Some of it will be raised through an economy which has been buoyant, thanks partly to the Chancellor's prudent approach during the past five years.

But if we want an improved NHS, we will have to pay for it and there will now be a political divide over how this should be done.

The Tories are suggesting Britain looks at the sort of insurance funding which has been a successful way of paying for health services in several continental countries.

But Mr Brown has come down firmly on the side of continuing with an NHS which is free at the point of need for everyone in Britain.

The huge spending he suggests will bring the Government's financial outlay up to the spending levels of much of Europe.

What is now crucial for the country and the Government is actually getting visible improvements in return for the cash.

This will be tricky because our expectations, through advances in medical science, are growing higher year by year. We want good health and we want it now.

Mr Brown is proposing a rigorous scrutiny programme to make sure the extra cash is spent wisely.

The last Tory government spent more in real terms each year on the NHS but was still widely perceived to have failed.

If Mr Brown can succeed with the NHS it would be the greatest achievement of his career and put him in line to succeed Tony Blair as PM. If not, the Government could lose the next election. That is the scale of the gamble he has taken in the Budget.