Money, money,money.

The Wanless report on the NHS makes for thought-provoking reading - not so much for what it says about the NHS, but for what it says about this (and to a certain extent, the previous) Government's philosophy on the spending of public money. League tables, consumer choice, targets and payment by result means inevitably that those who are judged to be successful get more money and become more popular (though not necessarily better) and those who don't are doomed to a downward slide into failure. When you think about it, this so-called "market forces" philosophy is totally unsuitable for the delivery of a public service - be it health, education or whatever. An awful lot of money has been pumped into the NHS over the last few years, but thanks to this misguided approach, has produced proportionately little improvement. If Sir Derek Wanless can see this, why can't the politicians?