Good morning. First today comes the sad news of the death of health policy researcher Professor Ellie Scrivens at the desperately early age of 54 - The Guardian carries an excellent obituary.

Professor Scrivens' work on the need for external regulation has had lasting impact. It would be a great tribute to her career if the Care Quality Commission were to institute an annual award in her name- - perhaps one to celebrate sustained improvement.

Hello, and welcome to Wednesday. HPI associate director Tom Smith has spotted a beauty of a story about a somewhat ill-attended Darzi session by a PCT.

Indeed, there seems to be no stopping Tom today, as he has also posted a very strong piece on the constrasting healthcare policy plans of the US Presidential candidates.

Good day to you.

A quick browse of The Economist's poll on whom global Economist readers around the world would like to be next president of the USA has found cold comfort for the Grand Old Party's candidates Senator John McCain and his deputy governor Sarah Palin. The McCain / Palin ticket is ahead in just six countries: in five of these - Algeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Macedonia and Sudan - they have a lead over Democrat cadidate senator Barrack Obama and his deputy Senator Joseph Biden. And in which nation do the Republicans have a 'strong' lead?

God morning - I hope this finds you well.

The eagle-eyed Tom Smith has spotted and written about the UK's self-styled 'first medical tourism show'.

Good morning. After a very below-par performance at the NHS Alliance conference in Bournemouth, Health Secretary Alan Johnson is back closer to his normal good form in an interview in today's Telegraph.

Asked whether he has been invited onto billionaires' yachts, the MP for Hull West and Hessle jokes that no, the limit of his exposure to the high life on the ocean waves has been invitations abroad fishing trawers.

A beautiful, crisp and clear good morning to you. Two quick pieces of note today: an excellent piece in The Independent reports on Norwich Union's investigating fraud in claims from clinicians.

One consultant gastroenerologist's private work saw £85,000 of fraudulent claims. Another particularly optimistic gynaecologist claimed for work done on pars of a patient's anatomy that had already been surgically excised.

Good day to you. I was cut off mid-flow on day two of NHS Alliance conference coverage by various technical issues, but never fear: coverage will appear.

Three interesting bits of context for the second day of the Alliance conference:

A report that NICE is to use other forms of evidence in its assessments of cost-effectiveness than the randomised control trial

The Association of British Insurers eyes an attractive new market if top-ups are sanctioned by the Richards review, as expected

In Bournemouth for the NHS Alliance conference, hoping and expecting it will live up to its reputation for lively and outspoken debate. So this blog will update throughout the day.

We wake to the interesting policy context of the Annual Health Check.

2007-8 Annual Health Check – improving but mixed picture

Hello. Today, we have a long and candid interview with NHS Alliance chair Dr Michael Dixon GP. The Alliance conference is always fun and lively, and this year in Bournemouth there promises to be plenty of meat for discussion.

The 'Hull PCT buys yacht' story will not have escaped your attention (). I had a bit of a moment when I saw the story.