“I'm waiting in my cold cell, when the bell begins to chime.

Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time.”

For a reason I can't explain, this Iron Maiden song is playing in my head, over and over. The last time it was such a powerful mental presence was years ago. I was singing it, perched on a playground swing, watching the sun go down over my high school. It was the evening before my first ‘A level’ exam. A moment in time when the next few weeks would determine a large part of the rest of my life.

And so here we are again, ‘post-Lansley’ as it's being called, once again at the beginning of something life-determining. My senior receptionist has just informed me that our most commissioning astute partner is off this week at CCG meetings …