THE commitment given to the Craven Herald this week about the future of hospital services in Skipton is welcome.

The bewildering number of NHS reforms and initiatives means that the man in the street can be forgiven for confusion at the ways and means but there is a real prospect that when the dust settles Craven will have a facility to be proud of.

Certainly the model proposed by the Government and what is already in place in Ripon, a town a little smaller than Skipton, would be a real improvement to what currently exists.

However, we must resist the temptation to say that Skipton Hospital has been saved. For it is clear that should these ambitious plans come to fruition, then what emerges will be nothing like a hospital as we know it. Indeed, there is a clear hint that some of the services currently on offer at Skipton will not survive - at least not on this site.

But if the PCT which is negotiating to take over the site currently owned by Airedale can actually restore decent NHS dental services in the town, provide a minor injuries unit for the town and provide at least some of the mooted services, then there will be few who will complain.