A NEW hospital for Otley with more services was never on the cards, it has been claimed.

Despite pledges made at numerous public meetings for services - including overnight surgery - they were just proposals and never made it past the planning stage into reality says primary care group member Graham Hoult.

Mr Hoult, lay member for the Leeds North-West PCG, added it would be at least three years before a new hospital was built.

"The exhibition in Otley Civic Centre was nothing more than an artist's impression. It will be a year before we even see a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) backer sit down with the health authority and say this is the site we want to build on.

"Nothing could be done for three or four years," said Mr Hoult.

He told the Otley and Wharfedale Community Involvement Team (CIT) at its meeting in Otley on Friday that it was frustrating but true that pledges made by health chiefs at public consultation meetings two years ago were not firm plans.

"Two years ago we had an aspirational plan, but there was never an architect. It was a shopping list of what we would actually like.

"A plan is not a plan until there is not an actual drawing. I don't believe there was ever a concrete plan," said Mr Hoult.

CIT chairman Councillor Phil Coyne (Lab, Otley and Wharfedale) said the real concern was the apparent lack of consultation in the latest round of discussions surrounding the reconfiguration of health services across Leeds and that proposals for the new Otley hospital now appeared to be much watered down.

The health authority has asked Manchester consultant Gerry Lemon to assess whether overnight surgery could be provided at the new hospital planned for Otley or not.His recommendation is expected to be announced at a public meeting in Leeds on Monday, June 19.

The problem facing the health authority is whether surgery can be provided safely at a smaller type hospital as planned for Otley at a site next to Garnett's Mill off the Pool Road.

Mr Hoult said overnight surgery might be a possibility if somehow patients were made aware of an increased risk and were made to sign a consent form.

"There are £2.9 billion of lawsuits pending with the NHS at the moment. If we don't have contracts, the first person who goes into the hospital with something that goes wrong will be straight down to their solicitor," he said.

But Councillor Graham Kirkland pointed out people were also taking a risk by going to the Leeds General Infirmary.

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