THERE is a lot of sense in the old saying "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves."

And in any organisation as enormous and complex as the National Health Service it is important that costs are carefully monitored and controlled to minimise unnecessary waste.

East Lancashire Hospitals Trust has a particularly desperate problem because it is facing what has been described as a "financial black hole" and needs to save £7.5million this financial year.

With this crippling debt burden economies have to be made and that means looking at everything.

And since utility bills are a significant cost in any organisation of this size - especially now with soaring gas and electricity prices - it is only right that wastage is kept to a minimum.

With the world's limited national resources energy efficiency should also be pursued by any responsible business as an end in itself.

And while is makes sense to ensure lights are not wastefully left on actually removing bulbs does seem an overzealous approach to saving.

Victorian buildings have lots of dark corners and one would assume that those who designed modern complexes like Queen's Park Hospital have installed lights because they are needed.

The quest for savings mustn't be allowed to overrule sense.