The inability of the fee-for-service system to provide good preventive care is arguably one of the main reasons why the average American is no fitter than, and lives no longer than, people from European or Asian countries that spend far less on health care.

ECONOMIST: Your money or your life

"While we will listen to the views of others on improvements to the service we provide to the community, no-one should be in any doubt that the decisions and conclusions reached in individual complaints will be a matter for my office and my office alone, " he said.

BBC: Dr Michael Maguire