Last month's three-year road map boasts to be the ‘most ambitious plan in a generation' and sets out targets of 2.5m fewer patients waiting over 18 weeks to receive care, 190,000 more cancer patients to begin treatment within two months of referral and faster access to diagnostic tests and GP appointments.

There's an increasing danger of the Government's targets becoming divorced from reality, however, as the NHS faces increasing strain on its finances. NHS leaders have highlighted that unless the chancellor provides additional support to cover the £3bn costs of redundancies, industrial action and potentially higher drug prices, the Government's elective targets and reform plan will be at risk. 

Leaders have been left with a stark choice of balancing the books to cut waiting lists or face increasing deficits. 

Faced with this dilemma there is a growing need for a reality check from Government on the aggressive pace of reform. 

A climbdown on the pace of change appears inevitable given the deteriorating financial and operational climate as more strikes and another tough winter looms. 

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out lofty goals, such as halving the life expectancy gap and shifting to neighbourhood health, but is sadly lacking on details. 

If the Government is serious about reaching its destination of transformed healthcare, it needs to offer a credible plan and the means to get there.