I WONDER if Hugh Bayley could explain something to poor confused voters like me who don’t understand the workings of the political mind.

York Hospital has just been fined £8.5 million under a system set up by the last Labour Government (The Press, February 19), but who does that help?

It can’t help the people of York who desperately need the services (and we’ve already paid for it, after all). It won’t help the doctors, nurses and other front-line staff who are already under immense pressure from ridiculous targets set by politicians who seem incapable of making qualitative judgements any more.

The only benefactors appear to be the Treasury, who claw back yet more public spending.

If there is a case of mismanagement to answer, then the people being paid the top salaries need to be held to account and if they are guilty of repeated failure to carry out their duties then surely they need to have their contracts terminated.

But maybe Hugh can explain it more clearly.

Richard Hind, Alma Grove, York.