In order to help inform the debate about funding health over the next five to ten years, the King's Fund organised a meeting of senior managers, health economists and policy advisers at Leeds Castle. They discussed not only what level of public funding is feasible and desirable, but also the process by which such decisions should be reached and the framework that ought to guide and inform policy-makers. The paper includes presentations on key aspects of current system reforms in the NHS and a summary of the discussions. [Introduction]