“Turnaround teams” in financially challenged NHS hospitals have their eye on one thing only, and that's cash. But the advice from experts is that, rather than trying to capture more business (by seeking more referrals), hospitals should cut costs and reduce length of stay, thus increasing throughput (if demand exists). This strategy is sensible because GPs are busy trying to figure ways of making savings themselves, and in their case it's all about cutting referrals and seeking alternative services for their patients (Health Service Journal 2006; Feb 2: 21.

If you're struggling to make a difficult decision, forget about it. That's the advice of scientists who've found that complex decisions are best left to the unconscious. Do the homework, collect all the information you need, then forget about it all for a while (or use your dreams). Letting your unconscious do the work ultimately leads to more satisfying choices being made, because conscious deliberation covers only a subset of the relevant information (Science 2006;311: 1005-7).

Anyone interested in taking a short sabbatical during the next 12 months and wanting a bit of an adventure might be interested in the international …