HEALTH staff have questioned the possible closure of Ilkley's Coronation Hospital and the future of its services, a councillor has claimed.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Con, Ilkley) says a health employee working within local hospitals has expressed concerns about the impact of moving services to Airedale General Hospital - and believes Ilkley's services could be moved to Airedale because they are better than those at the larger

hospital.

Coun Hawkesworth said: "It has been suggested to me that it's thought not quite right we should have better services. If that's the case, the suggestion must be that they should be improving the Airedale."

But Chief Executive of Airedale NHS Trust, Bob Allen, has said the reason for reviewing the Coronation's Hospital's services is based on the Trust's financial

problems. The Trust previously announced a £1.6million deficit between current service costs and income available for this financial year.

Coun Hawkesworth said she has also been told by a health trust employee that the Airedale Hospital would not be able to cope if some services were transferred out of Ilkley - and has refuted claims that services need to be provided from more up-to-date buildings.

At a meeting held between health bosses, parish councillors and Ilkley residents at Ilkley Town Hall recently, Airedale Primary Care Trust chairman, Keith Ellis said one of the aims of reassessing services would be to provide services from 21st Century facilities.

But Coun Hawkesworth said: "I have actually been told by someone who works within the hospital that the facilities at the Coronation Hospital are excellent. There is no problem whatsoever with the fact that the building is over 90 years old."

Councillor Hawkesworth said she had also been told that the X-ray department at Airedale General would not be able to cope if X-ray services were transferred from the Coronation Hospital.

But Mr Allen said the Airedale NHS Trust and the Airedale Primary Care Trust had not made any decisions about services, and were still in the process of assessing the services and the financial situation. He said they would be consulting staff in looking at the provision of services in future.

Mr Allen said: "Obviously, the staff will have their own views and some will start rumours of their own.

We're looking very carefully at all the services, that includes the Ilkley Coronation Hospital and Bingley Hospital, as we told staff, in the spirit of being open about things."

Mr Allen said the Trust is expected to have come up with firmer plans by the end of September, and will come back to discuss its ideas with Ilkley residents and parish councillors.