And yet even Mr Lansley's critics agree that, as the former Independent MP for Wyre Forest Dr Richard Taylor puts it, "the NHS needs to change" - though he's urging "evolution not revolution" and is especially concerned by what he sees as Mr Lansley's failure to put patient safety at the heart of his recommendations.

BBC: Health reform: A suitable case for treatment?

The evolution of the stiff upper lip is unexpectedly complex - emerging out of the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars as a reaction to what Britain's rulers felt was a dangerous unleashing of unrestrained passion on the continent.

BBC: The end of the stiff upper lip?