Pete C wrote:

It was given by Alan Milburn as an arbritary estimate, but a look at
what is being debated is more revealing. Essentially the Govt believes
that lower waiting times means less deaths. However in reality this
may mean more urgent cases are being deferred in order that less
urgent cases are being treated within the maximum waiting time:

The usual triumph of spin over substance (or in fact lives in this case).

URL:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030507/debtext/30507-14.htm#30507-14_spnew0

In any case quoting a statistic without any context is sometimes
misleading.

Agreed, however for the purposes of the discussion in hand, it did not
seem that relevant, or more likely, would most likely only serve to
divert the discussion into ever new areas for claim and counter claim.


--
Cheers,

John.

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