Mr. Bernard Gloster:

In that long interview last Sunday week, when I spoke about the workforce and controls on the numbers I was talking about what we are funded to do versus what is needed. They are two different things. Assessments of need could take us to all kinds of places. The workforce we have in place - some of which is above the target that is funded, but is there - and the agency staff and overtime we are using are providing a level of service today. As distinct from cutting that between now and the end of the year, we are capping it. The service the workforce is providing today will continue. That is what I mean when I say front-line services will not be affected. If additional super demand - that is demand in excess of what we predict - were to be repeated next year, as happened this year, we would be challenged in that space. I am not saying the evidence suggests it will be repeated.

I am talking about controlling. I am conscious of the Senator's time. As I said, there are three financial challenges in running the health service: demand above what we expected, inflation and the environment we can control. I have listened extensively to the commentary about the out-of-control health service in which it is said we cannot do or manage anything. The part we can control is what our workforce is funded to do. That is what I am focused on. The simple reality is that I was funded to employ slightly more than an additional 6,000 staff. We are heading for at least that number, if not breaching it. Within that, unfortunately, some grades overtook others.