After decades of uncertainty, Otley's new £13 million hospital is finally underway.

And on Friday last week, Harold Best , MP and the hospital's longest serving worker, auxiliary nurse Christine Davey, performed the turf cutting ceremony.

Mr Best, MP for Leeds North West, said: "It has been a long, hard fought campaign by many ordinary people, including members of the Otley Town Council, most of them living within a few miles of this community based hospital. I am pleased to say that it was a campaign that I was able to play my part in too."

Christine Davey, who has worked at the hospital since 1962, said she had seen many changes at Wharfedale.

"We've all wanted this for a very long time, I've three more years to go and I don't think it'll be finished before I go, but it's very nice seeing it go up."

She believed the hospital was so popular with patients because of its size.

"All the patients that we get say they love Wharfedale because it is small and friendly."

The hospital, which is being built next to the current hospital in Newall Carr Road, is due to be opened in 2004.

Built under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme, the hospital is being built by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and HBG Projects Ltd.

It will have 76 medical and surgical beds, operating theatres, an endoscopy suite, day surgery unit, radiology, outpatients, minor injuries and therapy services.

It will remain the property of HBG Projects for the next 30 years after which it will return to the NHS.

Otley general surgeon Mr Hasmukh Shah paid tribute to the work done by Mr Best.

"It is fantastic for Otley and I really think if it was not for Harold Best this hospital would not be here," he said. "He has done a tremendous job for the hospital."

Mr Shah said that he believed that the hospital would eventually have more facilities than was there at the moment.

He added: "One person who would have been very happy to see this is the late David Adams who died about ten years ago. When he became consultant at the hospital 40 years ago he was shown a plan for the new hospital, I am sure he would have been very pleased to see this today."

Richard Fielder, director of HBG Projects, builders of St James's Hospital in Leeds, said: "It has taken HBG about two years to bring this project to fruition and we realise it has been a lot longer process than that."

He looked forward to a good relationship with the Otley community for the next 30 years.

"The hospital will not just be a part of the community, but an integral player within the community."

Project manager for the trust, Kevin Westwood, said: "A lot of people thought we would never get to this stage.

"The building will have the facility to do a lot more with it which will allow the hospital to change as health care changes."

Mr Westwood said the new hospital would be a bench mark for other planned hospitals.

"This will be a community hospital centre of excellence."

Mr Best added: " I hope that construction will now proceed as quickly as possible. I know that everyone looks forward to the inclusion of the widest possible range of services at the hospital and for its early completion."

And Neil McKay, trust chief executive, said: "After many years of doubt over the future of the hospital it is great to see these concerns finally put to rest with the start of the construction of the new hospital."

Lesley Smith, chief executive of Leeds North West Primary Care Group, said: The PCT is delighted that construction of the new hospital has now begun. Wharfedale Hospital will form a major part of our plans to secure improved healthcare for the people of North West Leeds in modern, local facilities."