It has been said that the British regard the National Health Service as the nearest thing to a state religion. That may explain why rows about its successes and failings are so passionate. They are certainly enough to damage a government, and maybe even, in the worst case, bring it down. So the Prime Minister needs to be extremely careful who she blames for the present air of crisis surrounding the NHS. In particular, reports of long waiting times for emergency treatment, and afterwards for admission to a hospital ward, suggest some highly vulnerable people are suffering as a result of a system that is inadequately administered and inadequately financed.

This elevation of the NHS to an almost sacred status in the national psyche should not hurt the feelings of the two British Churches established by law, the Churches of England and of Scotland. The idea that healthcare is a right for everybody and not just a privilege for those who can afford it has deep Christian roots which can be traced back to mediaeval times.