When Labour took office on the morning of the July 5, one of the most pressing tasks the Government had to grapple with was the crisis in our National Health Service.

Any doctor will tell you that to treat a patient, you first need to diagnose the issue. That’s why our new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, immediately asked Lord Darzi, a respected surgeon and independent peer, to report on the state of the NHS.

Everyone I speak to in Ipswich has their own personal story that reflects the dire state of our health service.

In the last few months alone, I have heard stories of people pulling out their own teeth because they can’t get a dentist appointment. People in severe pain, giving up and walking out of A&E because of the hours-long waits. Staff leaving for different countries or industries, fed up with working so hard as the walls of our health service are – sometimes literally – crumbling around them.

But, as I sat down to read Lord Darzi’s report yesterday morning, armed with all of these stories and more, I was still utterly shocked and incensed by its findings.

14,000 people dying every year because of the record waiting lists.

No progress for nearly a decade on early cancer diagnosis.

Technology 15 years behind the private sector.

250,000 babies waiting more than four hours in A&E.

1 million people waiting for mental health support, with more than 300,000 referrals taking more than a year.

Staff are working harder than ever, yet productivity has plummeted.

On every one of the 159 pages of the report there are statistics that lay bare the abject state of our health service. Any which way you look at our NHS, the signs of a decade of Conservative failure and political sabotage are blindingly obvious.

The Labour Party has always been proud of its record on the NHS. In 1948, it was a Labour government that founded our National Health Service. And the last Labour government achieved the shortest waiting lists and highest patient satisfaction in history. Yet, the health service this Labour government has inherited is in a worse state than at any time in its 76-year history. So, what must be done to save it?

Firstly, we must follow through on our pledge to bring care back into the community. Hospitals should not become the first port of call for patients; rooting care on our high streets, in schools and in pharmacies will allow for earlier and quicker diagnosis, more convenient and cheaper for us all.

Secondly, closing the 15-year technology gap with the private sector. Giving patients greater ease of access to health services, and giving staff the tools they need to treat patients more efficiently. This means doubling the amount of CT and MRI scanners, harnessing the power of AI for early diagnosis, and transforming the NHS app so it works for patients.

Thirdly, ensuring the NHS is once again a National Health Service, not just a National Sickness Service. This means grappling with the issue of an aging population, where people are living for longer but are becoming sicker. The Government will get to work on tackling chronic and long-term issues, including the crisis in mental health provision, which is particularly poor here in Suffolk.

The Prime Minister’s statement that the NHS must ‘reform or die’ encapsulates just how existential a challenge reforming our health service is. The challenge this government faces is enormous, but it is one that we simply must overcome.

Jack Abbott is Labour MP for Ipswich