Yesterday I explored some possible explanations of what might lie behind last Thursday’s announcement by the Secretary of State that 22 trusts have problems of financial and clinical stability because of PFIs. Today I want to explore the NHS reaction to this to show how that demonstrates the current Secretary of State’s lack of political touch necessary to do the job.

Last week the Secretary of State achieved something that was really quite remarkable. His attack upon the potential clinical and financial stability of 22 trusts meant that he forced their CEOs and representatives to come into the public domain to say that, for their hospitals, the cost of PFI wasn’t that bad.