A ward at Wharfedale Hospital is on a “shortlist” for closure, raising fears for its future.

Staff have been told that Ward 1 at the Otley hospital, an elderly care ward, could be closed as part of cost-cutting measures by Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

The Trust, under pressure to save £60 million, warned in March it would need to provide services out of fewer wards and reduce its workforce by 700.

A source with connections at Wharfedale Hospital, who asked not to be named, said: “The staff were visited by very senior management and informed that Ward 1 was on the shortlist to be closed. They were told they would be informed of the decision before the end of the month.

“This information was given out despite the fact that only three weeks ago, the staff council had visited to reassure staff that discussions had taken place and that the hospital would maintain its status quo.

“The closure of Ward 1 would be the final nail in the coffin as far as Wharfedale is concerned. It would mean there would no longer be a need for overnight staff, not just nursing, but portering. Without this, the surgery requiring an overnight stop would not take place and the hospital would be closed over the weekend.” Otley’s MP and Support Wharfedale Hospital member Greg Mulholland has written to the Trust’s chief executive, Maggie Boyle, demanding reassurances.

  • Read the full story in Thursday's T&A