AIREDALE Hospital's chief executive has "no confidence" in an independent report about the future of primary health care in Craven.

At stake is whether general practitioners and other health providers in Craven join forces with their counterparts in Harrogate or with those in the Airedale district, which comprises Keighley, Ilkley and Bingley.

Bob Allen, chief executive of Airedale NHS Trust, told the Herald that he had no confidence that the report would take a full, considered view.

Airedale NHS Trust believes the future of Airedale Hospital will be more secure if the traditional links between Craven and Airedale are maintained administratively, rather than Craven linking with Harrogate.

That view is shared by the majority of Craven doctors, but the Craven Primary Care group board has expressed a preference for an administrative merger with Harrogate.

Prof Brian Jewell, chairman of Airedale NHS Trust, was also critical of the way the report had been commissioned.

"I suspect that the primary purpose of the report was to look at the preference of North Yorkshire Health Authority and Craven Primary Care Group to merge with Harrogate," he said.

He said the hospital had not been involved in the commissioning process and little time had been spent with the hospital discussing the measure.

"We are key stakeholders but we feel we have not been consulted adequately. It (the report) was set up without our knowledge," said Prof Jewell.

"We were treated as an interested party, not as a key stakeholder. We are not just a small partner in this - many of our staff will be transferred to whatever organisation comes about.

"We await to see what the report says but we have no confidence in the process."

Prof Jewell was also critical of the level of consultation, claiming that Airedale Hospital spent less than two hours discussing Craven's future.

"It is a very complicated matter. They have allowed a single person to assess a situation we have been mulling over for two years," he said.

People such as consultants, directors of nursing and directors of medicine at Airedale had not been involved in the process.

Barry Fisher, chief executive of North Yorkshire Health Authority said the compilers of the report, the prestigious King's Fund, had been briefed to examine all options equally.

Mr Fisher said the King's Fund was not aiming for absolute detail but, using their wide experience and knowledge of NHS reforms, to form a judgement which could then be used by the parties.

The Fund's conclusion would be used to help determine the final decision but would not be the over-riding factor.

He stated that Airedale NHS Trust had been involved in the decision to bring in someone independent.

"The final decision will be made only after full public consultation and whatever decision is taken will not be to the detriment of health care for the people in Craven," said Mr Fisher.