I've never met a dentist who called himself or herself a doctor, even when they've got a doctorate. It would confuse people.

And my experience is that waiting lists are shorter than they used to be.

Too much paperwork and reorganising, that's true, but that's a universal disease these days, in every line of work.

But don't believe anyone who says the NHS demonstrates that "socialised medicine" doesn't work. The problems we have are tied up with efforts to make it more like the private system rather than the other way round.

Typically people will use private health provision to speed up on getting a test done - but rely on the NHS to do the actual medical work. Not just to save money, either, the level of treatment is more reliable.