Intensive care

THE billions devoted to health this week were old news. After the difficulties the National Health Service experienced last winter, the government rushed forward the disclosure of its spending plans for health in the budget last March. Gordon Brown announced then that health spending in Britain would rise in real terms by 5.6% a year over the next three years, which is almost double the average rate of growth under the previous government. In the five years to 2004, government health spending will rise by 35% in real terms. The spending review confirmed these numbers.