Orthopaedic training in the United Kingdom.

To The Editor: We read with interest the Topics in Training article "Trauma and Orthopaedic Training in the United Kingdom" (2002;84:501-3), by Toms et al., and we would like to comment on some of the points that the authors made. First, the National Health Service in the United Kingdom is not "free" but is funded entirely through taxation. Government spending on the National Health Service is due to rise from £65.4 billion this year to £72.1 billion next year and to £105.6 billion by 2007-8. Health care is free at the point of delivery. Second, although the bottleneck that existed within the specialist training grade during the early 1990s has largely been resolved, a new bottleneck now exists at the …