However, the King’s Fund also said politicians should not collude to stop closures of unsafe services, with radical changes needed in the way some services were run.

Meg Hillier MP, chairman of the PAC, said: “The NHS as we know it is under threat from growing and unsustainable financial pressures.

“Few trusts feel they have a credible plan for meeting the financial targets they have been set by Government.

“At the same time, the Government seems unable to get its own house in order – plundering NHS investment funds to plug holes elsewhere, and falling out in public over its longer-term strategy.”

Referring to the bitter disputes betweeen NHS England and Number 10, the report states: “We believe that the Department of Health, NHS England and No. 10 must work together in the best interests of patients.

“The fact that key players running our NHS are bickering in public does little to inspire confidence that patients are at the heart of everyone’s priorities.”

Ms Hiller said: “Contradictory statements about funding from the Prime Minister and head of NHS England are an insult to taxpayers who deserve an honest, grown-up conversation about future finance and service provision.”

She said the Government was ignoring “mounting evidence” that its plans were simply not “up to the job”.