Reason rather flies out the window when discussing the NHS, that Wonder of the World that it is. Yet we do rather insist that we must retain that very reason when discussing it. For if the structure of the NHS, that idea of not just government financing but direct government provision of health care, is so good and wondrous then we should be spending less upon it than everyone else:

The UK spends among the lowest of any developed nation on health. It is not enough. To protect the NHS and the considerable value for money it offers, the government must show leadership. I’m calling for an independent commission to set a golden ratio of GDP spend on healthcare free from short-term political priorities.

Obviously, it is possible that not enough is being spent: as it is also possible that too much is. But we cannot go around insisting that the NHS offers great value for money but it's a tragedy that we spend less than others do. For, if it's great value for money then it should cost us less than those other less efficient systems cost Johnny Foreigner.

Either the structure of the NHS, that near Stalinist monolith, saves us money or it doesn't. If it does then we should glory in having saved that money.