This month saw publication of the NHS Commissioning Board's mandate – an important document for the future of health and care services in this country.

I'm glad to say that there's much to support in it. It is absolutely right to emphasise that service integration and partnership-working between sectors must be ‘a core part of what the NHS does, and not an optional extra,' and that patients should have a choice of ‘the best providers, whether from the public, private, independent or voluntary sectors'.