A 30-bed ward for the elderly at Airedale Hospital is to be closed to save cash, despite a rise in the number of emergency admissions of patients who are over 75 years old.

Ward 7 is to be closed as part of the package put together by Airedale NHS Trust to claw back a £5 million deficit.

The ward is the second to be hit by the trust's financial crisis -- a five-day surgical ward, which was temporarily closed in December, is also to also remain closed.

The seven-day ward is due to be closed on October 18. It is one of three wards for the elderly at the hospital.

Ward 6 is already closed for refurbishment and is due to be reopened in November.

Financial director Janet Crouch said: "This proposal has been discussed in full with the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and measures are being put in place to ensure that patients are, as far as possible, cared for in their own homes and that patient care is not affected.

"Work is already in motion to move patients from Ward 7. Those who cannot be cared for at home will either be catered for on the remaining ward, transferred to the stroke unit or admitted to nursing homes. All staff will be re-deployed."

Bradford Council's Social Services is in charge of ensuring patients are allocated a suitable nursing home.

A spokesman said: "The majority of people on this ward are going home and we are doing everything we can to ensure they get the appropriate care to support them in this. For those who need residential care, we are working to find them suitable places."

The closure comes at a time when the number of patient admissions, especially elderly patients more vulnerable to the cold weather, is likely to increase.

In February this year the Trust reported an increase of 2.1 per cent in emergency admissions of over-75s during the winter months.

At the last NHS Trust Board meeting, earlier this month, Doug Farrow, director of planning and performance, reported that from April to July of this year there had been a 13 per cent rise in the number of over-75s admitted to the hospital in emergency -- a rise in excess of the national target, which was 1 per cent.

He said: "That worries me. These are the people who stay at the hospital for a long time - longer than the average patient."

When approached this week about the ward closure, he would make no further comment.

Airedale PCT has targets to reduce emergency admissions, particularly in people over-75, and is implementing measures within the community, which it claims should, over time, lead to a reduction in the number of hospital beds required.

But Jane Lack, co-chairman of the Airedale Hospital Patient and Public Involvement Forum (PPI), said: "As a forum we are very concerned about the closure of another ward, especially as winter is approaching and demand is likely to increase.

"We are aware that there are more community-based services available for older people but these are not yet available for all Airedale residents. We are asking the trust for more detailed information and will be arranging a public meeting to discuss these issues further."

The PPI has written to the trust asking for details of its winter pressures programme for 2004/05.

The closure of Ward 7 follows the hospital being placed third in the country for its treatment of people aged 50 and over. It was judged as giving excellent service by Saga, which provides services and products to hospitals.

Those who would like to make any comments about the ward closure can contact PPI representative Olivia Butterworth at Keighley Voluntary Services on 01535 665258.