A radical shake-up of the health service would provide doctors and nurses with more power to improve services, according to Government health minister Alan Milburn.

Mr Milburn made the claim on a visit to Airedale General Hospital at Steeton near Keighley yesterday to see the improvements made in two key areas of the hospital.

He said the Government's new proposals to shift resources and decision-making powers from Whitehall to front-line staff in a bid to cut down bureaucracy would lead to more initiatives such as Airedale's new assessment ward.

The minister met patients and staff on Ward 15 which has been transformed with £440,000 of modernisation funding into a patient-assessment ward.

He was also taken around the hospital's accident and emergency department, which has been improved with £300,000 of modernisation funding.

Mr Milburn said: "It's very important that doctors, nurses and staff who do a really good job get to ensure that the money and power is drawn to the front line.

"Part of the reason why Ward 15 has been such a success is down to the staff."

Mr Milburn was also fulsome in his praise for the work carried out by staff at Airedale which led to it gaining a place in the top ten performing hospitals in the country in a Sunday newspaper's Good Hospital Guide.

Chief executive Robert Allen said: "The trust is delighted that Mr Milburn has agreed to pay a goodwill visit to Airedale.

"The trust's success is due to many factors. Among them are internal teamwork and good partnership working with primary care."

Also present for Mr Milburn's visit were Keighley MP Ann Cryer, Shipley MP Chris Leslie, Dr Maggie Helliwell, chairman of the professional executive committee for Airedale Primary Care Trust, and Dr Julian Allen, chairman of Craven Primary Care Group.