Yesterday I attempted to tackle some of the arguments against the extension of patient choice into the NHS. One of the reasons for extending this much further is to demonstrate that socialised medicine, paid for out of general taxation, can provide the taxpayer/consumer with the kind of experience that used to be only available to those that paid privately.

Mrs Thatcher famously said that she used private health care in order to choose which doctor at which hospital she would see – and at a time and date of her choosing. Now we can provide that choice for NHS patients. This is a victory for the NHS against its enemies.