Landmark Numbers
A few reference numbers for judging whether another number is big or small.
The idea comes from Tim Harford's How to Make the World Add Up (published in the US as The Data Detective). Harford suggests carrying a handful of landmark numbers in your head, such as the population of the country or what the government spends in a year. When a new statistic comes along, you can check it against a landmark and tell whether it is big, small or simply implausible. The credit for the idea is his. Any mistakes in the numbers are mine.
The numbers
The NHS in numbers
The size of the NHS: its budget, staff, appointments and waiting list, with per-day and per-person versions you can use to judge a headline.
NHS England's budget (2026/27) £561 million a day
What NHS care costs
England's average cost of an A&E attendance, outpatient appointment, hospital stay and more, compared with Guy's and St Thomas'.
A major A&E attendance £350 in England, £480 at GSTT
How the NHS is performing
The eight headline waiting-time measures for A&E, planned care, cancer and diagnostics: England, Guy's and St Thomas' and the ten Shelford Group teaching hospitals.
A&E patients seen within 4 hours (September 2026) 74.4% in England, 75.4% at GSTT