The number of people waiting for surgery at Airedale Hospital has plunged by almost ten per cent, new figures reveal.

Ann Wagner, director of performance management for Bradford Health Authority, says the results are testimony to the hard work of staff.

She says: "We aim to build on this and will not rest. I am quietly confident that figures for this month will also be good and residents can be assured that they can put faith in their health service."

Airedale NHS Trust waiting lists fell from 1,709 in January to 1,543 in February, a drop of around 9.7 per cent.

Health Secretary Frank Dobson has promised to reduce the number of people waiting for treatment in England to below 1,158,000. The government has invested £320 million in slashing waiting lists.

But opposition parties and doctors have accused the government of distorting clinical priorities and increasing pressure on already-overworked NHS staff to meet the ambitious targets.

Mr Dobson has pledged to cut waiting lists by a further 100,000 by the next election.

In January, the last month for which figures are available, the number of people waiting for treatment nationally fell by 14,200 - just 1,400 short of the government's target.

Meanwhile, Airedale NHS Trust boss Bob Allen outlined the area's achievements when he spoke to local business people.

Mr Allen outlined several initiatives which will help Keighley people over the next few years when he addressed last week's Keighley Business Forum luncheon.

Mr Allen said the Trust was the area's biggest employer, with 3,000 staff, and spent £70 million a year on hospital and community care services.

Around 25,000 people spent at least one night in Airedale Hospital last year, and the accident and emergency unit dealt with 50,000 people.

Mr Allen said over the next ten years family doctors would play a much bigger role in health care and have more say in the way the NHS is run. And he outlined the new NHS Direct service which will allow anyone with a health query to phone a trained nurse for advice.

Mr Allen said one of the best improvements of the past few years was the way more people could be looked after in the community rather than being stuck in hospital.

He was particularly proud that people with learning disabilities no longer are no longer confined to institutions but can live in bungalows supported by health workers.

He said the Trust's successes included developing services at Keighley health centre, impr-oving mental-health services and becoming the first NHS Trust to gain Investors in People status.

Airedale Hospital successes have included employing 25 extra consultants, creating a new coronary and intensive care unit, building a new operating theatre and introducing day surgery for ear and eye problems.

Mr Allen warned that demand on the health service would be tremendous at the turn of the millennium, particularly due to parties and the expected boom in pregnancies.

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