Most of my local Tories know that any kind of direct assault on the NHS would result in instant annihilation at the next election. There are more subtle method

Most of my local Tories know that any kind of direct assault on the NHS would result in instant annihilation at the next election. There are more subtle methods of course including outrageously broken internal market management restructures (Stafford Hospital Trust, 'fund holding GPs' in the time of Thatcher) and the like.