THE people of Otley and Wharfedale are being asked to comment on the future of Wharfedale General Hospital.

At a series of meetings, people are being asked for their views on future services at the hospital - and more importantly perhaps - where the now approved new

hospital will be built.

From the first of the meetings held a couple of weeks ago in Yeadon, it was clear that people in Aireborough thought passionately that the new hospital should be built in Menston - at the High Royds Hospital site.

It has been argued that a hospital at Menston would be more central to those it will serve, that transport would be easier and that ambulances would not have to cope with heavy traffic in Otley town centre.

Now, the consultation is moving to Otley where people are equally passionate that the hospital should stay in Otley. They also argue that it is central to the area it will serve, that it has always had the loyal support of people in the town and that it is a major employer.

There is also a strong feeling that over the years when the hospital has been threatened with closure, if it hadn't been for the campaigning people of Otley - it would have closed.

It will be some time before any decision is made on the future of the hospital, but what is clear, now is not the time to shut up.

Some of us might believe there is no point in going to the meetings and no point in having an opinion.

But the hospital is being built for the people of Wharfedale and it is up to us to put across our views - because if we don't fight, we've only got ourselves to blame if the end result is not what we want.

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