SIR - Once again we hear from your columns that the Physical Rehabilitation Unit at Skipton General Hospital is to close on February 29, and that the patients are to be accommodated on the stroke unit at Airedale General Hospital.

It has also been stated by the Airedale Trust that if any of the patients on the PRU need any intermediate care before going home they can get it at Castleberg Hospital in Settle. This, by the way, is also a hospital that is hanging on by a thread itself, and will in no way be able to provide a service, or level of care that will come anywhere near that provided by the PRU at Skipton General.

But what the people of Craven have got to start understanding is that the whole scenario regarding the PRU has nothing to do with the maintenance of care to the patient, or the service that the unit or the hospital at Skipton provides to the area.

It is simply a matter of money, and the fact that the Airedale Trust is now trying to become a Foundation Hospital. They are doing this they say, so that they will have more control over their budget; this, by the way, is a organisation that is at the last count about £2 million in the red, and this is after they have got rid of over half of the hospitals that were under the control of the old Airedale Area Health Authority.

Scalebor Park is now a high class-housing complex, as is the Raikeswood Hospital site. In March of 1991 The Airedale Health Authority stated that they, and I quote from the official press release: "planned to sell the Raikeswood Hospital site and use the money to build new facilities at Skipton General Hospital, and that the patients at Raikeswood would be transferred to beds elsewhere within the district on a temporary basis, pending the development of two new wards and a day hospital on the Skipton General Hospital site, and that this will be done as quickly as possible".

Not only did they not fulfil any of these things, they actually closed down the small day hospital for the elderly that was operating at Skipton General at the time.

So since, it became a trust, it has been a gradual erosion of the facilities on the Skipton General site and now it's the turn of the Physical Rehabilitation Unit.

However how do you get rid of a "gem" as it has rightly been described? They did try to do it by stealth in the first instance, but failed because of the public outcry. Then they had to hold public meetings to let the people of the district, and some of the patients who use the facilities on the PRU, give their views on why the facilities should stay on the Skipton General site, which on the face of things would appear to have been a wasted exercise for all the people who attended these meetings and signed forms supporting the PRU staying in Skipton.

The Trust have also tried to justify their intention of closing the unit by saying that the service provided by the unit can be done just as well by having eight beds on the new stroke unit at Airedale Hospital, and also being community orientated in their approach to physical rehabilitation.

In other words, looking after the patients in their own homes. Anybody who has done this will tell you that it is no easy task.

As for sharing the facilities with the new stroke unit they must know from a rehabilitation aspect this will just not work to the standards that the PRU has provided for its patients in the past, but is no reflection on the expertise of the medical and nursing staff that are on the stroke unit. It is simply because of the logistical factors and the demand for acute beds on a ward such as the stroke unit, plus the heavy work load of just keeping patients alive after a stroke and then getting them into a condition that they are able to begin the rehabilitation process, because this is when the hard work of rehabilitation really begins in earnest.

The closing of the PRU at Skipton General, is nothing to do with patient care, or staff development; it is about money, and to get this money Airedale Trust have got to become a Foundation Hospital, and one of the things that will enhance this application is to have a stroke unit, but to get this and foundation status, money has got to be saved so something has got to go, as happened with Raikeswood Hospital in 1991 when Airedale Health Authority was seeking Trust status.

This time it's the turn of the Physical Rehabilitation Unit at Skipton General, and with their past track record I don't think anybody would blame me for being concerned as to how long the remaining services will be available at Skipton General.

The Physical Rehabilitation Unit at Skipton General will be sorely missed by all the patients who had the benefit of its expertise, and also by the patients who will not have the opportunity of it in the future.

Robert Chapman,

Retired Ward Manager,

Lytham Gardens, Skipton.

SIR - In your editorial last week, you expressed surprise at the lack of comment from readers about the future of Skipton General Hospital.

I suspect that there is a very good reason for this - namely the past experience of Skipton people in relation to hospital services in the town.

In a nutshell, they feel that their views don't matter to the authorities in Bradford, Harrogate or wherever else the people in power are based at the time.

Even when a commitment is given, presumably as a sop to stop the peasants being quite so revolting, it is reneged on without any compunction.

This was the case with the use of the proceeds of the sale of Raikeswood Hospital, and the recent raising and dashing of hopes regarding the PRU is another example of no account being taken of local feelings or the reduction in quality of treatment.

Over the last few years, many outpatient clinics have been withdrawn from Skipton, resulting in more overloading of facilities at Airedale Hospital and causing great inconvenience to patients.

This is supposedly all in the name of improved efficiency and reduced costs.

If the wasted time and increased transport costs of patients in travelling to and from Airedale (including the costs of additional ambulance journeys) were to be included in the calculations, what would then be the most economic solution?

If this policy were taken to its logical conclusion, then surely the most cost-efficient solution to the financial problems of the NHS would be to close Airedale and move everything to Leeds or Bradford. Where is the line to be drawn?

The treatment that I have received over the years at Airedale has always been first rate, but I am now becoming nervous about the ability of the staff there to continue to provide such good care, given the ever-increasing workload being foisted upon them by the bean counters.

Ultimately, this will disillusion even the most dedicated staff and increase the risk of the system breaking down altogether.

Michael Noon

Crag Lane, Bradley.

SIR - That renowned sage, visionary and sometime pugilist John Prescott is feverishly pushing ahead with his plans for regional assemblies for England.

He has recruited, briefed and charged with moral fervour the usual cohort of useful idiots from the ranks of church, industry, academia and local government to front his campaign, nay! his dream, of English devolution, in order to "bring decision making closer to the people".

John Prescott argues that regional assemblies have no connection with the European Union.

Its aim is to remedy a democratic deficit within the UK. Whilst acknowledging that, for more than a hundred years, various formats of regionalisation within the UK have been an intense political issue, there is strong evidence to suggest that there is an EU dimension to English devolution which springs from the EU's policy of a "Europe of Regions".

I will spare the readers the details, but no doubt in the coming months we can expect to see a lively exchange of views in these columns and these issues will be discussed.

But there is good news! Those enlightened Craven residents who sense that a "Regional Assembly" for Yorkshire and Humberside will mean more bureaucrats, higher council tax and less local democracy will be glad to know that a "Yorkshire Say's No" campaign (tel 01226 704060) is up and running.

The organisation will be delighted to answer questions and hopefully receive active support from Craven residents. This is an all party campaign which has no affiliation with any specific political party nor receives funding from any party or trade union. Its ten man executive council is chaired by John Watson who many will remember as a past MP for Skipton and Ripon.

AJA Smith,

Colne Road, Glusburn

SIR - Recent letters supporting the proposed art gallery in the town hall seem to have been written by individuals who really should get out more.

On all major roads leading into this town are signs boldly identifying Skipton as an historic market town. The flea markets are a part of the tradition of this town, an art gallery is not.

And this thought is overwhelmingly supported by the 3,070 signatures to a petition asking quite simply whether or not visitors to the town hall would prefer a market or an art gallery.

Only 32 supported the idea of an art gallery. That's a little more than one per cent. So to all you who believe that charities and market traders and the vast majority of town hall users are to be dispensed with because of your uninformed desires, I strongly suggest you listen to both residents and visitors to this historic market town.

An art gallery is not wanted, nor is it a viable financial alternative for the council.

As for J O'Donnel who wants vested interests in the historic practice of market trading to "put up or shut up", is this referring to the tens of thousands of pounds that market traders have invested in stock, to the thousands of pounds raised over the years by charities and dispersed throughout the Craven district, or the tens of thousands of pounds in rents the charities and stall holders have paid to the council over the years? Believe me, we have "put up", but we have absolutely no intention of "shutting up"!

Steve Holtsbaum,

The Green, Long Preston.

SIR - I read with astonishment M Hawkins letter regarding the city of Bradford and its alleged shortcomings, all of which, according to Mr Hawkins, were caused by just one factor: its Asian and Afro-Caribbean population.

His obsession with the ethnic minority beggars belief. He shared with us some half-baked tale dating back 22 years and incredulously invited us to stand outside Bradford school gates to count the white children.

I respectfully suggest that whatever problems Bradford may have, either as a city or as a metropolitan district, there is no place in our town for such barely concealed racism.

Chris Lund

Brougham Street, Skipton

SIR - During the visit by Prince Charles to this area on Monday, that old chestnut once again reared its ugly head, ie that outsiders were responsible for putting up the price of houses so that local people could not afford to buy them.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think that Dales folk have the right to sell their properties on the open market and get the best price possible and that it is the right of other people to buy that property.

It would appear that it is the seller that raises prices not the buyer. Or is it possible that if it were not for the outsiders, Dales folk would sell their properties to other Dales folk at 1950 prices?

Since we came down out of the trees man has had to migrate because of famine, flood, war etc, so it would appear that it is not the inherent right of man to live out his life in the area where he was born.

Gordon Adams,

Park View Drive,

Long Ashes, Threshfield.

SIR - I was interested to read, for the second week running, the chorus of disapproval about the proposals for the closing off of the High Street in Skipton town centre.

Like Councillor Doyle, I am a member of the Skipton Renaissance management team. The traffic situation in the town centre is central to our discussions about the vision of the future that we are trying to shape for the town.

Judging by the uproar the article has created, it was perhaps unwise of Coun Doyle, in a bout of over enthusiasm, to have reported his views to your journal without having run the idea past the management team as a whole. On the other hand, credit to him for having brought such a clearly complex and controversial matter up for public debate.

So, we now know what the people of Skipton are opposed to. Does that mean we leave things as they are? Clearly not - we are all tired of the traffic congestion in the town, yet both locals and visitors alike want the convenience of parking close to the town centre for their shopping, banking and other requirements.

I do not have the answers -- the purpose of this letter is to invite both drivers and residents to contact me with any proposals as to how to make the town centre a friendlier place to work, visit and shop in, yet keeping the flow of traffic in, out and around the town on the move. Easier said than done!

Finally may I assure everyone that no decisions about such an important subject will or should be allowed to take place without a further series of public consultations, details of which are to be announced in the near future.

Mark Verity,

Raikes Road, Skipton.

SIR - Some of your readers walking down Skipton High Street towards dusk last Sunday, 15 February, may have been puzzled and surprised to see a long line of people with candles standing outside the Town Hall. What were we doing?

We were marking the 12 month anniversary of the biggest demonstration of public opinion that London has ever seen. This vast crowd of almost two million ordinary people - families with children, those in wheelchairs, old and young, good-natured and peaceable - were expressing opposition to the threatened war in Iraq. Despite this, our Government joined with the USA in launching and fighting a war. Of course Saddam Hussein was a wicked ruler, but war was not the remedy, for war breeds continued conflict.

Now, he is in prison, but conflict goes on, and Iraq stands on the brink of even worse.

Our vigil in Skipton was one of a world-wide chain last Sunday, of vigils of repentance for the Iraq war fought in our name.

Elma and Richard Harland,

Intake Lane, Grassington.

SIR - Perhaps Mr Jackson (Craven Herald Letters, February 20) would be interested to know that the present Abbeyfield site was chosen particularly so that the residents would be able to walk into Settle, which most of us do at least once a day, as well as taking part in many activities in the town.

The new building will not only provide much needed flats for the elderly but will also offer extra care where necessary.

Can Mr Jackson visualise people in their eighties walking into Settle from Giggleswick?

I am informed on good authority that the revenue from Greenfoot car park is lower than most in Craven.

Betty Holgate,

Lower Greenfoot, Settle.

SIR - The police precept increase has been set at 10 per cent in spite of Government recommendations and the obvious plight of pensioners.

Why is it that the likes of councillors don't consider the plight of low income groups when approving such increases (remember a 76 per cent increase in police precept last year). The police could achieve their objective with a much smaller increase (as for pensions) by a rescheduling of activity: stop targeting 'soft targets' such as the motorist, easy and normally safe, and target burglars, muggers, and other violent offenders, or does this seem like hard work for our new chief and her staff.

Anyone of like opinion should contact their MP and ask that this matter should be brought to the attention of the Home Secretary. An essential further action, at the next elections, should be to vote the offending councillors out of office. Sufficient response could result in these increases being capped, so if you cannot get to visit your MP write!

Jack Lingard

Badgergate, Threshfield.