It was reported on Monday that the coalition faced a “growing rebellion” from Liberal Democrat MPs against moves by chancellor George Osborne towards setting regional pay.

An end to national pay bargaining in the public sector would lead to a “race to the bottom” and exacerbate the wealth divide between the South East and the rest of the country, according to a smattering of Liberal Democrats quoted by the Financial Times.

Black clouds from the ongoing PIP implant saga were refusing to dissipate as the private health sector faced scrutiny on numerous fronts this week. The Sunday Telegraph said the Commons health committee was planning an inquiry into the cosmetic surgery industry, while the Guardian warned there was “concern over the training of surgeons in cosmetic clinics”.

Some private sector surgeons were not on the General Medical Council’s specialist register, the Guardian said. One surgeon interviewed said being on the register should be a “bare minimum” for independent practice, a suggestion refuted by private provider Transform.

The FT reported the UK’s largest private hospital operator, General Healthcare Group, was on the “brink of a debt crisis” that provided an “unwelcome reminder of the recent collapse of Southern Cross”.

It suggested the company, which has a debt of £1.65bn, was more likely to be “taken over by its creditors or rescued by new equity injections” than wound up.    

The Daily Mail ran a story on the “nutrition ‘quacks’ who put patients’ health at risk”.

The story about “food doctors” who charge up to £80 per consultation was based on an investigation by Which?. It found 14 out of 15 nutritional therapists offered either “potentially dangerous or misleading advice”.

The Camden New Journal reported that obese patients were being referred to London’s Royal Veterinary College because they were too big for hospital body scanners.

The college has CT scanners which are custom-designed for horses.