Let’s applaud Simon Stevens: the NHS boss with a plan | Deborah Orr

He is taking a risk in scrapping surgery targets, but it should help our ailing health serviceOne trouble with dropping targets is that such a decision tends to create a target. The head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, has outlined many sensible goals in his proposals for the future of the health service. But attention has focused on one thing. In order to take the strain off A&E departments and improve cancer treatment, Stevens has decided to drop the target whereby 92% of routine surgery is