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Free NHS treatment could be axed if the economy does not recover, the boss of the service warned yesterday.

Professor Malcolm Grant admitted charges for NHS services were a possibility as demand is set to rise by between 4% and 5% as the population gets older.

He said a “rethink of the fundamental tenets of how care is provided” was needed.

He added: “It’s something a future government will wish to reflect on.”

But the Shadow Health Secretary said it was outrageous for patients to pay when the Coalition had killed the economic recovery and slashed £20billion from the NHS budget.

Jamie Reed said: “David Cameron’s economic mismanagement must not force a cash-strapped NHS to start charging its own patients.”

The row comes after watchdogs ruled the PM broke his pledge of annual real terms increases in NHS spending.