Editor's blog Tuesday 28 July 2009: 'Black skies thinking', Casanova Cameron and some other bits and bobs

Good evening. I hope this finds you well and swine flu-free.

Swine flu. SWine flu. SWINE flu SWINE FLU SWINE FLU SWINE FLU OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE, THEY'RE COMING TO GET US AND THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT ALIVE AFTER THE HOLOCAUST OF SWINE FLU EXCEPT FOR RATS AND PR MEN!

Oh. Excuse me. I seem to have taken temporary leave of my wits there. Hang, on, there's the HPIphone ... oh, it's only Paul Dacre. He's always on at me to go and get a job there. FTFAGOS, as they say in the trade. Andy Burnham's noticed there's a bit of panic about.

Just for the moment, I haven't got time to go into the national Swine Flu hotline with the energy it deserves. I've been too busy helping to set up the national Stubbed Toe helpline. Maybe tomorrow, in the words of The Littlest Hobo theme tune.

Right, what do we have for you lucky people today?

Well we have new Maynard Doctrine on how the NHS could cope with serious financial shitstorm heading its way (unless we believe the politicians saying that its funding won't be hit, which frankly, on this one we don't).

We also have new Health Policy Today on David Cameron's wooing of NHS woman. Go and read them both now.

Other than that, time is tighter than budgets, so here are some interesting links in briefest brief.

Money worries
The Norwich North by-election result for the Tories prompts interesting speculation.

Times Online carries these thoughts about what Gordon Brown could but won't do now.

Elsewhere, there are Tory triumphalist-friendly findings from some new research reported in the FT. Prospect recently carried some quite contrary thoughts frtom Peter Kellner in a recent issue.

Economic woe ahead prompts more outpourings. Shadow Treasury secretary Philip Hammond clearly fancies being the Tory cuts hard-man, reported intriguingly by The Grauniad.

The IFS suggests that other departments must lose 16% of their budgets if ring-fencing of health, education, defence and overseas aid budgets goes ahead. Four ex-Chancellors weigh in with their views
Following in the footsteps of the recent SMF 'feast to famine' report, an un-named SpAd (oh alright, special advisor) calls for copayments, and as Tom Smith notes, is smartly rebuked on live TV by David 'Casanova' Cameron.

Fat chance
Meanwhile, Lord Darzi suggests that staff stop eating pies, in an uncanny echo of events with US President Barack Obama’s surgeon-general.

Darzi fans can find him also chuntering on in the NEJM.

And finally ...
Now if you have read down this far, well done. Because today, for our 'and finally ...' item, I have five copies of a new guidebook I've written on the NHS for Wellards. If you would like one of the limited edition unsigned versions of this tome, email your name and address to editorial@healthpolicyinsight.com to enter the draw.

Yes, I am the ambassador and I am spoiling you.