It's not just patients who might benefit from more doctors but the service itself, according to the UK National Health Service's chief executive, David Nicholson. He told the annual conference of staff grade and associate specialist doctors in June, “Within two years, we want a doctor applying for every chief executive post advertised. Where clinicians and managers work together,” he said, “There is almost nothing you can't achieve.”

Leading doctors have welcomed the call for more clinical input in the running of the NHS, although many have raised doubts about whether Mr Nicholson's two year deadline for getting medical applications for all chief executive posts is remotely realistic.

None the less, after the Conservative party's pledge to do away with central NHS targets, the pressure on the government has increased to give local clinical concerns higher priority.

Mr Nicholson is relying on the appointment within the next two or three weeks of the first NHS medical director, to speed up the process. He is understood to be reluctant to comment further until the medical director has had a chance to establish his or her position on what has become a key policy area for the NHS.