When is a target not a target ?

So Gordon Brown and Andy Burham are moving away from the target culture ? At his monthly press conference the PM has announced 3 new health policies.

• A  free health check to all those over 45 – announced repeatedly by Gordon as a new policy over the last 3 years and has always been available to anyone who wants it through your GP anyway.
• The right to see a cancer specialist within two weeks of diagnosis.  Diagnosis by who ? ( a cancer specialist perhaps). How will this be measured unless a target is attached?
• The right to treatment of cancer within eighteen weeks.  Why 18 weeks? What is cancer treatment in this context -initial biopsy/ excision?  Control of symptoms? Definitive surgery? Start of chemotherapy? How can this possibly be measured without requiring more form filling and tick boxes.

So more targets not less. Characteristically the PM then went on to argue black is white, up is down and left really does mean right by saying

"It is part of a move away from a target-led approach”