UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Hunt, has unveiled new plans for 'increased investment' in the National Health Service, but one area of the plans is set to be controversial.
Mr Hunt's speech in the House of Commons highlighted a significant decrease in the number of NHS doctors currently in-post, and, to counter this, he revealed, he has authorised local health authorities to enlist the help of veterinarians to help with less-serious health issues.
"I am aware there are problems with falling numbers of available doctors, and to remedy this, I will be talking to local health authorities with a suggestion that they might look to bolster their numbers using veterinarians for less-serious health issues."
There was a hush in the House.
Then, several Labour members laughed out loud, and the Prime Minister went a greyer shade of grey than she normally is.
Before Hunt could explain, the House emptied faster than it would have done had someone said they'd seen Guy Fawkes in the building. Mr Hunt's attempted explanation fell on deaf ears, and was drowned-out by a mad shuffling of brogues on timber, as his fellow MPs hurried away to their chosen bars and clubs to chortle into the wee hours about his latest gaffe.
