The opening of a new NHS dental practice has been stalled because health chiefs are confident that work on a new hospital will begin next year.

The practice, announced earlier this year by Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust, was scheduled to open this month in the grounds of Coronation Hospital on Springs Lane, Ilkley.

Now it has been revealed that opening has been postponed until March and it will open at a temporary site.

The trust, which is about to begin a consultation over the Coronation Hospital rebuild, says it does not want to move any new services into the site, in light of its board’s recent decision to rebuild.

It says the new practice would have to be moved to allow for the building work to start.

The health trust’s deputy director of service development, Catherine Thatcher, said: “The recent decision to redevelop Coronation Hospital next year means that we will not be moving any new services into the building in the short term.”