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As if I wasn't already confused. The headline in today's Western Morning News tells me that the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (still "Treliske" to most people in Cornwall) has been penalised nearly £1million for "over-performance." Apparently the doctors and nurses have been carrying out too many operations to help the sick and injured get better. About £340,000 worth of these operations were "urgent" - but still over-contract. The definition of a further £600,000 worth of over-contract operations as "non-urgent" might be disputed by the patients.

Anyway, I do hope that all this means is that the money is now simply banked in another part of the National Health Service and that the doctors and nurses at Treliske will be encouraged to continue their good work, regardless of what the accountants might say.

Meanwhile another piece of health news comes my way today - a press release telling me that the contract to run the NHS treatment centre at Bodmin has again been won by the Australian-based multi-national, It's a three-year, £5.5million contract, which I'm sure will comfort shareholders as they digest news of the 33% increase in global profits during the first half of the year.

The UK's contribution to Ramsay's total annual revenue was nearly £172million. spoke of the "cost efficiencies achieved in the UK.....operating margins before rent increased to 25.5%.....There continues to be broad support for a competitive market for NHS services and Ramsay is strongly positioned to continue growing its business in this expanding, publically funded market."

Ramsay's net profit, after tax, was just over $AU 91million, or about £55million. Treliske is about £34 million "in debt." You could employ a lot of doctors and nurses for £55million. Or pay off Treliske's debt. And still have some change for a few accountants.