Campaigners have lost their fight to reopen the last in-patient ward at Bingley Hospital.

Health minister Alan Milburn has decided Rowan Ward at the hospital will remain shut following its closure by Airedale NHS Trust chiefs two years ago.

But he has told Bradford health chiefs speedy action must be taken to ensure the service is properly provided in the community and at Airedale General Hospital.

A major consultation on the closure was carried out following the shutdown of the rundown 17-bed ward which provided rehabilitative care for elderly patients initially as a temporary measure. An extra 16 beds were instead created at Airedale General Hospital for emergency elderly patients.

In a letter to Shipley MP Chris Leslie, Mr Milburn said it would not be appropriate or cost effective to reopen the ward. "I know the health authority plans to improve rehabilitation services further through its Health Action Zone plans and I will ask the authority to ensure that this includes rapid action to enhance the range of services for the people of Airedale and Bingley," he said.

Mr Leslie, who vigorously opposed the closure when it was announced in November 1996 and led a recent delegation to the minister to press the case, said he was pleased that, for the first time, guarantees were being given about the provision of elderly rehabilitation care as part of the NHS to local people. "He is telling the people who make these decisions to pull their finger out and pay attention to providing recuperative care," he said.

But Coun Margaret Eaton (Bingley Rural) said: "It's very disappointing for Bingley.''

Ann Wagner, Director of Performance Management at Bradford Health Authority, said: "We do know of people being placed in residential care and nursing homes because of insufficient time in recuperation. We recognise it's unacceptable.

"After Christmas we will be implementing a four-stage plan which will include supporting people in their homes and assessing people in one place.''

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