Youngsters to be given a say

Airedale Primary Care Trust has launched a consultation exercise so the public can give their views on proposals to modernise Bingley Hospital and transfer all four of the town's GP practices on to one site.

Two public meetings have already been held for people to see and consider the plans and a further meeting is planned for next week.

Now Airedale PCT is to visit a school in the area to highlight the proposals and gather feedback on the plans.

An Airedale PCT spokesman said: "We are having an extra meeting in a school probably next month but a date and the actual school have yet to be arranged.

"We are trying to involve a younger audience because they are the future."

Airedale NHS Trust is proposing to close the town's hospital to help address a £1.6 million budget shortfall and Airedale PCT is asking people to give their views on three options.

The options include transferring Bingley Hospital's services to a purpose-built health centre in the town, refurbishing the existing hospital or knocking down the hospital, built in 1889, and constructing a new building in its place.

The PCT has also proposed to either move the four surgeries to the site of Bingley Hospital, bringing together GP and hospital services, or move the practices together to a new site.

The spokesman said there had been a good response so far to the second phase of consultations.

"We've had 140 responses about the hospital. We're really pleased with how it's going up until now.

"We've had positive feedback and we hope it will continue before the deadline."

The final public meeting is taking place as part of Bradford Council's Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting at Bingley Methodist Church in Herbert Street on Tuesday at 6pm.

The consultation period for the hospital and GP surgeries ends on May 28.

The final decision will then be presented to the committee and the Patient and Public Involvement Forum for approval.