An early and important exchange of fire took place this week in the battle to reform the British state. Health-care managers, doctors' associations and the Labour Party attacked the coalition's plans to put family doctors in charge of commissioning hospital care for patients—including from private health-care companies, who might be able to offer some services at a lower price than the local hospital. As the government's health bill arrived in Parliament, David Cameron insisted that there is "no option of just quietly standing still".
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