THE hospital which caters for Ilkley patients has received top marks in a recent Government survey.

Airedale General Hospital, at Steeton, near Keighley, is achieving, and in some areas surpassing, national average performance levels.

Performance indicators produced by the Department of Health show that Airedale NHS Trust is performing above average in key areas such a clinical performance.

The trust is particularly praised for ensuring that 100 per cent of all breast cancer patients are seen within the recommended two-week period from GP referral.

No patients have to wait more than four hours on a trolley before they are found a bed, compared to the national average of around 13 per cent.

However, the study has highlighted a number of concerns, including a shortage of nurses and a rise in the number of complaints unanswered during the statutory four-week period.

The trust's clinical effectiveness and its capacity and capability to provide health care are better that the English average, with its reduction in the number of consultant vacancies putting it in the highest band.

Overall, the trust has improved in line with the national average in clinical effectiveness, patient focus and efficiency levels, and better than average in capacity and capability.

Deputy chief executive Janet Crouch said: "Airedale has performed fairly well in everything and there are no particular problems.

"We do look at the figures to compare our performance to see if there's anything that can be improved upon."

The figures reveal there has been an increase of 37.7 per cent in the number of nurse, midwife and health visitor vacancies at Airedale since last year but the number of consultants in posts has improved 105.4 per cent with no vacancies left.

The number of complaints unanswered within four weeks has risen by 6.6 per cent and there was an 8.7 per cent increase in the number of people missing outpatient appointments.

This is the third time the NHS has produced performance indicators which compare the performance of health and hospital trusts in England.

It is part of a Government drive to give more information about local hospitals and to encourage health trusts to improved their performance.

In future, the performance figures will be included along with the management information on which the Government's 'Star Rating' of hospital trusts are currently based.