Express & Star comment: Give cash to NHS not foreign aid
It is not enough for Theresa May to wring her hands and say she is disappointed at the cancellation of NHS operations.
In fact, many people in this country will shake their heads in disbelief at the Prime Minister's claim that our hospitals are better prepared than ever before to deal with winter pressures.
Of course, there are a multitude of reasons why the NHS falls into crisis at this time of year.
Funding is undoubtedly one key element.
But there are others, including inefficiencies, top-heavy bureaucracy and a tendency to throw money at expenditure that the vast majority of people find completely unnecessary.
The evidence in the last category is growing by the day, with the latest example being an advert that tells us – wait for it – that smoking causes cancer.
Most people know that by now, along with the fact that eating too much chocolate can lead to obesity.
All of this nonsense is coordinated by individuals that earn a fortune to tell us things we already know.
What people really want is a properly funded NHS with decent wages for frontline staff and efficient services.
However, many of those who talk about the pressures on public services should really examine the impact of mass immigration.
Logic decrees that the more people that settle in this country, the more services will be required.
This obviously comes at no little cost to the taxpayer.
The NHS has been in crisis for years, and no single political party is to blame.
Labour may harp on about funding cuts, but the country's health system was in poor shape when they skulked out of office in 2010.
And while people are queuing up to criticise Jeremy Hunt, it is worth asking whether anyone else could do a better job.
The position of Health Secretary has sadly become the poisoned chalice of Cabinet briefs.
If Theresa May really wanted to bolster the coffers of the NHS, she could do so tomorrow.
A strong leader in her position might well decide that we can no longer afford David Cameron's ludicrous foreign aid commitment.
The Prime Minister has hardly proved herself to be stable.
For the sake of the future of the NHS, let's hope that she can at least be strong.
