Blimey, I get ill for a month and the NHS just sort of explodes.

Hello, and sorry to have been away for so long. The flu that is currently causing big problems to hospitals and ambulance trusts hit my family and then me quite early and quite hard. I am now back, and what a month it's been.

I’m pleased to also present a festive Maynard Doctrine, as well as which I will try to summarise what’s been going on, even if some of it is hard to believe.

A profit without honour

Cough, cough, cough. Splutter. Spit. Shiver. Cough, cough, cough. Feel sorry for self. Self-medicate with pills or cask-strength single malt, depending on time of day. Cough, cough, cough. Repeat.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson has been on the receiving end of a touch of criticism from certain quarters of the medical profession. Some people question why Professor Sir Bruce Keogh was appointed to the DH as Medical Director in an apparent rivalry. Others have relentlessly criticised his involvement in the MTAS / Modernising Medical Careers fiasco.

Two pieces of news on 11th November made me cry, but only one of them made me want to be sick.

The anniversary of the end of the First World War needs few words, other than it was not the one that made me feel sick. That was the immensely depressing and saddening story of Baby P in Haringey, North London, whose mother, over and a lodger were convicted of 'causing or allowing' Baby P's death. The details are extremely upsetting.

Good day to you. Very rainy here.

But never mind - we have a bracing new dose of The Maynard Doctrine for your pleasure.

Maynard's discussion of clinical variations and quality issues could not be more timely with yesterday's cover feature in The Observer on a report about serious clinical problems at Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Good morning, and welcome to the weekend's welcome approach.

First today, the new Autumn-Winter issue of Commissioning Health is now online at www.commissioninghealth.com

I hope you'll enjoy it (and indeed the previous three issues, also archived there. With support from Bupa and NHS Alliance, Commissioning Health aims to promote thought and debate about how - and indeed whether - commissioning is developing in the UK.

Good morning. So how big do you think mid-day's interest rate cut will be? The full 1%?

This morning’s Guardian brings us an interesting suggestion that President-elect Obama should give tax credits to employers who provide or extend health insurance coverage for their workers at around $3,000 per worker per year.

Well, it currently looks as if the Republicans may retain the filibuster in Senate (which can be used to block the Democrat Congress's legislation), but I would say that much-needed healthcare reform is gonna come (as discussed by Tom Smith here).

The reaction of investors in the US healthcare industry will be interesting.

And speaking of change, here's a song for you to enjoy today.

Today, the Government will announce its decision in response to cancer czar Professor Mike Richards' review of the current policy of 'topping-up' NHS care. Which is that it is - officially - forbidden. Despite the frequent use of workaround solutions such as Healthcare At Home (www.healthcare-at-home.co.uk), or other strategies used by clinicians who do not support the existing policy.

You may remember various pieces of coverage we have previously done on the issue:

Hi there. In a big hurry today, and furthermore it's Friday, so after making one brief point, I will simply nick a few links to other people's good work that might give you a bit of weekend cheer.