There are four companies supplying oxygen, although like NHSBlogdoc, I wonder if they are 'friends of Tony'. I think the problem with health as a free market is that the NHS is half free market, and half government controlled. The NHS really should be one or the other as this mish-mash doesn't seem to be working. Look at how many hospitals are over their budget this year. My local hospital is keeping plastic drinking cups under lock and key, because they have over-spent on them. But as I say in my post (and my mention of you Tim was because I wanted to see what you thought) I'm a van-driver, not an economist. (I think it was Kenneth Clarke who called ambulance people 'taxi drivers').