SMARTING still over the embarrassment of the lengthening hospital waiting lists it promised to cut, the government will no doubt seize upon the report today which says what a good job the NHS does.
That is because a study by the Institute for Public Policy Research shows that Britain's health service is one of the most efficient in the world - and certainly good value for money for the taxpayer.
For, according to the report, health care for a family of four in the NHS costs some £2,090 a year compared with £8,060 in the private sector.
That is a sobering statistic - in view of what families would have to pay if there was no NHS.
It may not take the pain out of waiting for those on the list, but the valuable job done by the NHS is worth stressing from time to time when so often it suffers criticism while coping with ever-increasing strain.
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