We might not officially be in recession, but few would doubt the inevitability of a second quarter of negative growth being confirmed by the Office for National Statistics.
One thing that seems to be uniting healthcare policy makers is the urge to tackle so-called health inflation.
I often wonder what will drive the next quantum shift in healthcare. If we ran a poll today, world class commissioning or the Darzi review would probably top the list. These ideas are fine, but it seems to me that they represent an incremental nudge rather than a quantum shift.
As I opened the envelope from the British Medical Association, I found myself reflecting on a tumultuous few months. The envelope in question contained a justification of the GPs' committee's negotiating stance on extended hours and a form for voting on enhanced payments options.
The 60th birthday of the NHS has been talked about for so long that you could be forgiven if, like me, you thought it was going to be last year. 2008 was only a few days old when both party leaders flashed their health policy credentials.
