1.Tony Blair. According to Andrew Rawnsley's book Servants of the People, the chancellor was furious at the prime minister's commitment to raise spending on healthcare as a proportion of national income to the European average.

2.He was looking after it. Michael Paton, of Maryport, took the Cumbria Ambulance Service vehicle, which had been left with its keys in the ignition, on Boxing Day and drove off while twice over the legal alcohol limit because he wanted to take it to a police station for safekeeping.

3.£6. Junior health minister Lord Hunt said the 10p rise was 'the lowest rate of increase for over 20 years'.

4. Carry On Doctor - a film which culminates in a patients' revolt, with chief surgeon Dr Tinkler wheeled into his own operating theatre for a spot of revenge featuring a length of rubber tubing.

5.Virgin Atlantic, which charged£35,000 to visit 12 hospitals and produce a report in a move described by Peter Griffiths of the Health Quality Service as a 'not terribly helpful gimmick'.

6.The love bug - 500,000 e-mails carrying the message 'I love you' hit the hospital in one day as the computer virus brought global e-mail communications to a halt.

7.Adolf Hitler. The advert was making the point that things could have been very different without the contribution of today's pensioners.

8.Meeting staff on the ground. In an interview with HSJ in November, he said: 'One thing I will not devolve to Neil (McKay) is getting round the NHS. I need to see what's happening on the ground.'

9.His car was clamped. Luckily, according to the trust, Mr Denham 'really did see the funny side'.

10.Oldest employee. Sir Sydney, who had served as North West regional health authority chair from 1973-82 returned to the NHS as a non-executive director of Salford Mental Health Services trust.