It is late. I am knackered. Back properly tomrrow, but just one thought.

Both major parties launched their manifestos in buildings that don't work: one used to ages ago; the other will shortly.

Metaphor-tastic.

Wheeeeeeee! The claim and counter-claim merry-go-round of NHS politics is gathering momentum. (Pre-electoral tension, innit?)

You may have seen that we discussed the Conservatives' new proposals on cancer drugs here and here.

Well, the iridescent John Appleby and the ineluctable David Jenner have since added their contributions to the discussion, as you can see here.

Hello, and Happy Easter.

It was interesting to read the Telegraph story that David Cameron has discovered The Magical Money Tree Where Cash Grows For Free.

No, not really. But after Labour's obfuscation on how they would pay for the National Care Service, the Conservatives have fired the starting gun on the electoral auction of promises for health, with his decision to abolish NICE. And fund any drug a doctor wants to prescribe.

So. Does this story about the Conservatives wanting NICE to approve more cancer drugs look to you as if this is a party who can credibly propose in their policy to allow an independent board to run the NHS?

No?

Me neither.

This Grauniad spoof for April Fool's Day raised a wry smile at the end of a very long day.

Off to bed now. Night-night.

Hi. No time at all to write summat proper today, but the significant newsflash is that it seems like it might be all over bar the legal shouting for NHS Connecting For Health.

The true state of things is unclear, as this tweet from E Health Inside shows.

But it doesn't look good.

Commissioning has worked so brilliantly that the top management of the DH couldn’t even tell you what it costs.

Yes, really. Or if they could, they certainly didn’t tell the Health Select Committee. It is the sort of question you just might be able to anticipate, no?

The Committee has just issued its report into commissioning.

How do? Good weekend, I hope?

So. What did you make of the Ask The Chancellor ting on Channel 4?

What a quiet room it was: you could hear presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy turn pages of his notes. The audience was certainly thoroughly focused on the contenders.

Let’s dance! They System Management honchos at the dear old Department fo Health have finally issued the Principles and rules for co-operation and competition.

Nice timing, straight after the budget. Every clothwit will be ‘analysing’ wot the Budget means (fictional efficiency savings, basically).

Let’s dance! They System Management honchos at the dear old Department fo Health have finally issued the Principles and rules for co-operation and competition.

Nice timing, straight after the budget. Every clothwit will be ‘analysing’ wot the Budget means (fictional efficiency savings, basically).