The minister in charge of the UK's hospitals warned just two months ago that healthcare was a "natural place to start" making cuts.
In ominous remarks as the government tries to plug a huge £50 billion black hole in the nation's finances, Steve Barclay said some departments could be ordered to make savings of up to 80%.
Addressing a right-wing thinktank at the start of September, Mr Barclay issued a veiled threat to managers in the NHS and beyond, hinting that they could be culled on his watch.
