Of course the government can sort out the NHS

Cancer survival rates in the UK rank amongst the lowest in the Western world and show little sign of catching up, a damning report warns.

Late diagnosis and a lack of life-saving treatments are blamed for patients being more likely to die here than elsewhere in Europe, Canada or Australia, Norway and Sweden.

And the elderly are routinely denied surgery or drugs to remove tumours because doctors think it is not worthwhile.

On the very same day another report has revealed that nearly 200 patients dying from cancer have been denied life-extending drugs because they live in the wrong areas.

They were turned down by the Government’s much-heralded Cancer Drugs Fund, even though almost half of the £50million pot was untouched.

In "NHS South Central", which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire (who knew?), a quarter of applicants were rejected, but after six months the trust still had £1.7million left – nearly half of what was allocated.

Yet in "NHS North East", covering the Durham, Newcastle and Middlesbrough area (again, who knew?), all the patients who applied were given funding.

Yet again the unaccountable NHS exercises its power invisibly and continues to kill people.

This huge sprawling, unaccountable organisation is unmanageable. Politicians keep pretending they can sort it out. Is it vanity? Stupidity? Or do they really know that public opinion won't let them do what is necessary?