NEARLY ten months ago, the future of Ilkley's Coronation Hospital was cast in doubt when health bosses announced they wanted to cut services.

Today, the future of a hospital which has served the needs of Ilkley people for almost 100 years is still not known, and those fighting to save the hospital and its services are awaiting the next move of health bosses.

Airedale NHS Trust and Airedale PCT have not yet been able to reveal their full proposals for the Coronation Hospital.

The petition calling for the hospital to be saved, and all of its current services kept within Ilkley, has been supported by more than 10,000 people, with more continuing to add their names to the campaign.

Last week, BBC2 show Daily Politics visited Ilkley to highlight the debate, and Ilkley Parish Council chairman Mike Gibbons went on air to outline some of the issues.

He said: "I'm grateful to the BBC for helping us highlight the issue. I thought some of the remarks from patients and from Dr Graham Rawling were extremely good."

He is still urging the people of Ilkley to keep up their support of the campaign, awaiting further developments.

Councillor Gibbons said: "I'd like to ask people to continue to sign the petition, and not to forget that this is an ongoing situation. We're still awaiting firm proposals from the Airedale Trust, and in the absence of that, we must assume that nothing has been changed. We must be vigilant."

The popular Springs Lane hospital was threatened around ten years ago, but saved after thousands of Ilkley residents signed a petition demanding that the hospital should stay open.

Fears for the hospital grew afresh in June last year, when Airedale NHS Trust chief executive Bob Allen announced that the trust was looking into 'curtailing' services at the Coronation Hospital and Bingley hospital, in response to £1.6 million deficit.

The Trust revealed that the ownership of the hospital was being transferred to Airedale Primary Care Trust.

Residents and councillors immediately sprang into action, fearing the hospital could soon be closed, and all or some of its much-appreciated services transferred out of the town. There was immediate concern that Ilkley people would have to make the trek to the Airedale General Hospital - especially difficult for the elderly and those without cars.

Dubbed the 'people's hospital' by some, the Coronation Hospital was built in 1905 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII. Its original facilities included nine beds, an operating theatre and an outpatient department. The first patient was said to be an Addingham resident, Thomas Holmes, who had broken his leg working on the building of the Star Hotel.

The hospital grew from these beginnings, acquiring more beds, an x-ray department and in 1968 it gained a physiotherapy department. It lost its in-patient status in 1991.

However, the hospital's future has become less certain over the past 15 years. Previous threats to its existence have always resulted in determined opposition from the Ilkley community.

Campaigners last year again decided a petition signed by as much of Ilkley's population as possible would be the best way to convince Airedale NHS Trust and Airedale Primary Care Trust that the hospital should stay open, and retain all its physiotherapy, chiropody, occupational therapy, family planning, young persons' and minor injuries services.

The petition was set up in June, with shops and businesses being asked to display a campaign poster, and keep petition forms for customers to sign. The Ilkley Gazette joined in the campaign to save the hospital, offering free colour posters to its readers.

Within three weeks, thousands had rushed to sign the petition, and shop owners who had been in the town for years said they had never seen customers so fired up by the battle to save the hospital. An Ilkley architect also launched a campaign to have the older buildings at the Coronation Hospital preserved as part of Ilkley's heritage.

By July 11, around a tenth of Ilkley's population had signed the petition.

Keith Ellis of Airedale PCT, and Bob Allen, told a public meeting at Ilkley Town Hall in July that they had yet to decide what services they wanted to keep in Ilkley, but the decision could be taken by the end of the year. Mr Allen warned that they might have to make some 'hard choices' and warned that residents might not like their eventual plans.

Mr Ellis pledged to involve Ilkley people in the debate over the services and the buildings.

Eleven-year-old Ilkley resident Jessica Smith, whose brother, Nicholas, was saved by staff at the Coronation Hospital, wrote a personal document of protest against the closure of the hospital.

Ilkley MP Ann Cryer added her voice to the debate, asking health bosses to fully consult the community over any changes to the Coronation Hospital.

TV presenter and Wharfedale resident Richard Whiteley added his own name to the petition in July. The petition itself had gained almost 7,000 signatures by the end of August, and health bosses said that their proposals for the hospital and its services were likely to be unveiled in September or October.

At its meeting on September 4, Airedale NHS Trust announced it was carrying out a full review of services at the Coronation Hospital, along with Bingley Hospital and Skipton General Hospital.

Just a month later, with the petition reaching almost 8,000 signatures, the Trust and Airedale PCT confirmed that its plans to cut spending would fall on the Coronation Hospital and Bingley Hospital. Mr Allen said he had very strong views in particular on the future of Ilkley's minor injuries unit, although he promised that there would be talks before any closure was made. No detailed plans for the hospital's services were revealed.

Mrs Cryer, Councillor Gibbons, and Springs Medical Centre GP, Dr Graham Rawling, travelled to London to meet Health Minister Jacqui Smith in November, taking with them the most up-to-date copy of the petition, in a bid to secure the future of the hospital. The campaigners said Ms Smith had been 'very supportive' of their cause.

Just a week later, Airedale NHS Trust revealed that its consultations over the finalised proposals for the Coronation Hospital would begin in January 2003.

The petition began the New Year with more than 10,000 signatures. Airedale PCT said it would reveal papers on February 4 which would spell out the future of the Coronation Hospital. But when February 4 came, Airedale NHS Trust and Airedale PCT said they would have to put their plans on hold.

It was revealed that space at the Springs Medical Centre, next to the Coronation Hospital, which had been mooted as an alternative location for services from the hospital, was no longer available. Health bosses said its plans would have to be released at a later date.

Those concerned about the future of the Coronation Hospital and its services can only wait until Airedale NHS Trust and Airedale PCT make the next move - if the hospital is indeed in danger, the real battle will begin then.

l Copies of the petition can be signed at the Ilkley Gazette office, 8 Wells Road, Ilkley.