The NHS has disputed that they are the world’s third largest organization, after the Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army and Indian State Railways. Their press spokesman listed the US Dept of Defense and Wal-Mart ahead of their 1.4m, though George Trefgarne, economics editor of the Telegraph, suggests that the former is really four organizations. Health Secretary John Reid claimed that "The NHS is the world's biggest army for good." Maybe, but Trefgarne also points out that:

Yesterday, the Department of Health also released its annual workforce census which showed that less than half the new employees it hired last year were frontline health professionals. Of the 44,200 whole time equivalent new employees, 7,200 are doctors, 10,500 are nurses and 2,600 allied health professionals. The balance of 23,900 are back office staff, administrators, receptionists, lab technicians and cleaners. However, alternative figures compiled by the Office for National Statistics two weeks ago included some other support staff. These show the NHS hired 69,000 people last year, taking the total to over 1.4m. On that basis less than a third of new NHS employees are engaged in frontline health care.