Mystery of the millennium babies

While doctors and nurses in other hospital across the country are gearing up for a baby boom as the year 2000 approaches, those in Airedale will have little to worry about.

Pregnancy records show that the expected January increase in mums giving birth is no more than usual, while February seems unusually high.

And puzzled staff at the Steeton hospital can't decide whether parents-to-be weren't bothered with trying to be the first to have a millennium child, or had just chosen the wrong day to conceive.

"It looks like their timing is really out," said Susan Franks, the hospital's director of nursing.

"We haven't got any more bookings for the new year period than we had last year or the year before."

Acting midwifery manager Sue Inglis added: "February bookings are up by five to seven per cent on the same time last year.

"It appears that what's happened is that things haven't worked the first month and women have conceived in May rather than April."

According to experts, the best day to conceive to have a chance of giving birth nearest the dawn of the new millennium was May 28.

* Two new consultants are to be taken on at Airedale Hospital in a bid to slash waiting lists for people suffering from heart and lung complaints and diabetes.

Bradford Health Authority has agreed to fund the £200,000 posts to boost the number of general medicine consultants to eight.

Dr Paul Godwin, Airedale NHS Trust's medical director, said the new posts were needed because admissions had risen by six per cent.

"There are areas where there has been an increase in workload in Airedale because of the age of the population," he said.

"There are more older people in Airedale district and they are living longer."

The two posts are about to be advertised and trust bosses hope to have the new consultants employed within the next six months.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.