We learnt last week that Ms Hewitt asked clinical experts like Hazel Blears and Downing Street’s John McTernan and Paul Corrigan to draw up “heat maps” indicating marginal Labour seats where closures or changes to healthcare could deter voters.

Guido has drawn up a map for her to save McTernan the trouble allowing him more time to help others with their inquiries. Bedford was a Labour marginal where Patrick Hall had a 3,383 majority. A group of consultants at Bedford Hospital have decided that enough is enough.

They have formed a political party, Save Bedford Hospital, which they are in the process of registering with the Electoral Commission, and plan to fight the re-drawn Bedford and Kempston parliamentary seat. The group have universal support from hospital staff, patients and the local press. According to Dr Barry Monk, a consultant at the hospital for the past nineteen years, and chairman of the hospital consultants’ committee, who is now the party’s prospective parliamentary candidate, they are determined to win. “The time has come to explain to people how badly things have gone wrong in the NHS; the public deserve better.”