Papers uneasy about waiting lists

There is a sense of unease in the papers about the latest "scandal" to hit the NHS, this time focusing on waiting lists.

The Daily Mail describes the decision to delay treatment for people with life-threatening illnesses to meet waiting list targets as a grotesque distortion of clinical priorities.

The Daily Express is in no doubt that the National Audit Office's findings are damning.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's election pledge to cut the list by a 100,000 has been achieved, admits the Daily Telegraph, but only at some considerable cost.

The Mirror urges the government to drop its obsession with targets and league tables and create better services without no artificial yardsticks by which to judge them.

Building bridges

The Independent reports that Tony Blair will become the first British prime minister to visit Argentina since the Falklands conflict nearly 20 years ago.

The trip is designed to rebuild relations, but the Falklands will not be discussed during talks with President Fernando de la Rua.

The Sun welcomes next week's visit, saying it is time to move on and build bridges between the two countries.

Private medicine

Labour's plans to give the private sector a greater role in the NHS, education and local government come under the spotlight in the Guardian.

The proposals are due to be discussed by the party's National Policy Forum on Saturday.

But the paper predicts that union opposition is so great the ideas will be amended or even rejected altogether.

Tariff barriers

Chancellor Gordon Brown's call for the European Union and the United States to scrap tariff barriers wins support from the Sun and the Mail.

The Sun concludes that it is time fortress Europe abandoned the folly that trade barriers can insulate it from what it calls "chill global economic winds".

The Telegraph suggests that Mr Brown's talk of a new trading relationship with America will be seen as a further sign of his growing Euro-scepticism.

Shopping tunes

Marks and Spencer has tried numerous ploys over the past year to woo back shoppers, but its latest idea may not curry favour with everyone.

The Financial Times reports that it is to begin playing background music in its stores.

The company is hoping the music - featuring artists such as Elvis Presley, Status Quo and Billie Holliday - will be so popular that people will want to buy the CDs, which will be on sale in the shops.

The FT cannot resist the headline: "M&S hopes tills will revive with the sound of music".

Missed proposal

The Sun, among several papers, tells the story of what was meant to a romantic surprise.

Ian Johnstone flew 12,000 miles from Australia to propose to his girlfriend, Amy Dolby - unaware that she had set off on a surprise trip from England to visit him.

To add to their agony, they missed each other when their planes landed for a stop over at Singapore.

Mr Johnstone is planning another trip to Britain at Christmas to finally put his proposal to her.