Jack's Eye - latest news

I reckon Jack and his wife Gay deserves a pat on the back from us all.

They were up at 0500 getting ready for the Today programme, and BBC Radio Devon, and BBC Spotlight for all of these people Gay made coffee and provided bacon and egg (sadly I had eaten before leaving for their house which proved a mistake).

They "threw me" on the the Today programme when they said that NICE were planning to issue their guidance today - I spent an hour working on a speech to deliver in case we arrive dat Downing Street to the news tat Mr Brown had seen sense.

Jack's treated eye has worsened and he almost tripped over a trailed suitcase in the busy station at Paddington - his cat like reflexes saved the day. He put on a brave face but I could see he was shocked.

We arrived at Downing Street courtesy of The Mail on Sunday (buy a copy please) and were inundated with attention.

The police have a search room and we were welcomed so warmly it felt like they were old friends. They were actually queing up to shake hands with us! I guess the coppers are in the same boat as the docs and we all admire war veterans.

We felt like filmstars with a scrum of photographers fighting to get the best shots of your cheques and Number 10 in the background.

We then swaggered up to the famous door - we were expected - and a photographer shouted out to knock.

At this point I saw it. It was huge. It was Victorian. It was cast iron. It must have weighed five pounds. I could not help myself - I reached up and banged the doorknob so hard the fillings must have been shaken from Gordons teeth (lets hope he has an NHS dentist).

A dazed car park attendant (they must get the uniforms from the same supplier) staggered from inside and asked if I was "The Doctor" Jack replied in the affirmative and said we had something for Gordon.

I was prepared to come in - afterall Gordon knows that it is impossible to get an NHS GP to make a housecall - I even had my gloves (in case he wanted to shake my hand). It was obvious that the doctor was no longer required and we were politely thanked.

We handed over the cheques and the door closed gently behind us. As we walked away I heard a distant low pitched rumble coming from the cabinet room and even Jack's ancient olfactory nerve could detect the powerful smell of flatus.

We turned to the waiting pack of reporters and gave out interviews.

The local BBC and ITV TV news were following us, Radio Devon, and the Mail on Sunday, the Express, The Herald Express, the press association - all out for a soundbite.

A few minutes of fighting talk in Whitehall (Jack was filmed with the cenotauph as a backdrop) and we were in a Taxi.

When we got on the train at Paddington my mobile did not stop ringing until the battery gave out. By this time we had a group of fascinated passengers were politely pretending to read books - the bloke in front of me must have a reading age of 8 because he did not turn a page before Reading.

When the batter packe dup a fellow passenger offered us a charger and another one her phone. We carried on interviewing. The lady with the phone texted her mum who watched the news. "mum says the doctor is going to kick down Browns's door - she says it was brilliant!!!!"...

We will see what comes up on the BBC spotlight (sky 987) and ITV Westcoutry. The crews there thought it would be on national news at 2200.

We know there will be more in the press.

The story is not over though. Now Gordon has got our cheques. And he knows that if he does not send them on to Jack the doctor will be back - which is not the sort of housecall Gordon really wanted.