PATRICK Crowley, chief executive of York Hospital, tells us today that he is constantly looking to do more for less and, in a nutshell, that is the story of the NHS.

We live in a contradictory age where medical science is able to address so much, but the pressures of an increasingly ageing population mean there simply isn’t enough money to perform these often miracle-like cures. As a result, some difficult decisions have to be made.

That said, the service does rather shoot itself in the foot. York Hospital looks set to lose £10 million this year due to NHS fines and Mr Cowley says despite the CCG being obliged to invest this money on things that will help patients, it “simply isn’t happening”.

The CCG deny this is the case, but in doing so it says these funds are spent on out of hospital programmes aimed at preventing urgent care admissions.

While we are sure such projects are highly laudable, this is NHS money and hospitals are rightly crying out for it. Instead the one in York faces heavy penalties and on top of that must find another £25 million in savings this year.

We fully accept there can never be a bottomless pit of cash to pay for the NHS, but robbing Peter to pay Paul seems a strange way to run an organisation.