HAD the Government announced its intention of building a new heart hospital at a cost of £27.5m, there would have been much rejoicing from the public sector unions.

The celebrations would have been unrestrained, despite the fact that the hospital would have taken two years to build, and there would have been the additional substantial costs of recruiting and training specialist staff before an NHS patient could be admitted.

For the same unions to attack the Government's £27.5m purchase of a private sector heart hospital beggars belief.

Here is a ready-built, ready-staffed state-of-the-art hospital, capable of admitting NHS patients today, and one which will double the number of heart operations performed in London.

With immediate effect, it has the potential to save lives and reduce waiting times. The purchase is the soundest of deals, in terms of value for money and in terms of patient care. It is a decision which should be applauded as an excellent use of NHS resources, not condemned out of hand by those with a dogmatic aversion to the private sector.

What can be wrong with treating more NHS patients in the most cost-effective manner?

THE record number of complaints lodged against East Coast Mainline operator GNER hardly comes as a surprise.

The speed restrictions in place since last October's Hatfield disaster have stretched the patience and understanding of passengers.

The delays have not been the fault of GNER. By and large, the company has dealt with the troubles in an efficient and understanding manner. Indeed, its package of compensation payments is acknowledged as one of the most generous on offer.

Nevertheless, the level of complaints demonstrates the woeful lack of confidence in our railway network.

It demonstrates the huge levels of investment which are needed to improve services and win back passengers who have deserted the railways in favour of other forms of transport.

And it highlights the short-sightedness of the Transport Secretary's rejection of the notion of granting long-term licences to the train operators; a decision which will starve the industry of the very investment it needs.