On the face of it, cancer sufferers in Oxfordshire are getting a raw deal.

Department of Health figures show that just £5,182 is spent on each patient in the county, compared with £17,028 in Nottingham.

But as ever, the figures do not tell the whole story. While Nottingham has 2,128 patients, Oxfordshire has to deal with almost three times that number - 6,172.

And Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust says that even those statistics are not right.

According to its records, it spent £6m more than the Department of Health claims, equating to a spend of £6,892 per patient.

What is the public to make of it all? It sounds to us like another case of political spin, which is bound to confuse us all.

By all means investigate why Oxfordshire is spending less on cancer patients than other areas.

But surely the real test is whether those in our county are getting the highest quality care? It is not just a question of money.