If Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of the all conquering Tesco, will forgive me, I have a suggestion as to how his company can make even more money. Imagine you're queuing at the till. You put all your purchases on the conveyor belt and then you jump on the back and lie flat, ready for your check-out check-up.

As the assistant scans your food, a multi-skilled medic first checks your feet for bunions, then a quick prod to measure fat and finally open wide for a dental once-over. You pay the bill with bonus points accrued on your Tesco club card and the results are printed out at the bottom of your till receipt.

As well as helping to improve the health of the nation, the move also reduces the massive queues we have seen in Scarborough and elsewhere where NHS dentists are in short supply.

Far fetched? Well I'm sure the bosses of various high street chains would have said the same ten years ago if you suggested a grocery store would start eating into their profits.

Tesco today often sells more new CD or DVD releases than any other outlet and has established a foothold in the electrical, clothing and other markets.

The secret of success, I suggest, is that the consumer regards Tesco as a name it can trust. The biggest evidence of that is the fact it now does a roaring trade in pet insurance - as well as many other financial areas.

One oft-quoted statistic that sums up the success story is that for every £8 of consumer spending, £1 is spent in Tesco.

But there is another massive area of spending that is not included in this calculation. That is taxes, both local and national, which are spent on public services.

Tesco already sells washing machines, what is to stop it bidding for a local authority tender to fit bathrooms and kitchens in council homes?

And if Tesco devised a range of basic maths, English and science lessons I wonder how many parents, frustrated by what they see as little Jimmy's failing school, would take them up on the offer.

Tesco works because they put the customer first and it is a short step from delivering goods online to securing a contract to take the resulting refuse away and dispose of it.

In areas where crime is high and people complain they never see a police officer, could we see the police element of their community charge re-directed to fund Tesco warden patrols?

What I like about Tesco is that they don't use new technology as an excuse to cut staff. When there is a rush at lunchtime, early evening or weekends they open more check-outs - if only banks were so enlightened.

But they also appreciate the value of a well motivated staff. Take a look next time you're in a store. Everyone is busy but they all seem to be smiling and regard a chance to help a customer as a bonus not a chore.

This all stems from good leadership and those of us in the public sector charged with spending taxpayers' money - politicians and civil servants - need to look and learn.

If we don't we will seriously underestimate a rival and, in ten years time, will be left wondering how we allowed a supermarket to gain such a foothold in public services.