A patient who is feeling better can readily – and wrongly – believe it is not worth finishing the course of medicine, especially if it tastes nasty. In the same way, it is a mistake to think that the role of the private sector in improving the National Health Service can be cut back now that some benefits are already evident. Yet Alan Johnson, health secretary, is on the brink of slashing plans to extend private sector involvement in treatment centres and diagnostic services. This would be an unwelcome retreat.

Private sector companies had been expecting the award of business worth £700m a year from this second wave of big central contracts. Instead, it looks as though the schemes going ahead will be worth less than half that, and may total as little as £200m. The adverse effects of this reduction go well beyond the compensation that the government will have to pay for cancelling so late.