AN ESTATES strategy which could seal the fate of Ilkley's Coronation Hospital is still being worked on by health trust bosses.

A report to Airedale Primary Care Trust (PCT) board this week said the revised estates strategy is currently being undertaken by Bradford District Care Trust.

This includes looking at the future of the cottage hospital, and will form a major part of the legacy that the PCT recommends to the new Bradford and Airedale PCT.

A shake-up of the NHS will see all Bradford District PCTs merge in the near future, including Airedale PCT, which owns the hospital on Springs Lane.

Airedale PCT took on the ownership of the Coronation amid hospital management body Airedale NHS Trust's financial problems.

It then carried out public consultations which concluded that most local people were in favour of keeping all of Ilkley's hospital services, and relocating them to a purpose-built Health Care Centre built next door.

But despite pledges from the PCT and basic plans being drawn up for the centre, the new building has still not materialised.

It emerged last year that the national shift of GP and other primary healthcare funding to the Practice Based Commissioning system had stalled the new building's progress.

Campaigners leading the fight to save the Coronation's services hoped Ilkley GPs would come to the aid of their local hospital when they formed a collective for the new commissioning and funding arrangements.

The system will give GP collectives powers to commission a variety of services, and it is believed this could include locally-based hospital services.

But with negotiations about the establishment of local Practice Based Commissioning groups still going on, the Coronation's future is likely to be affected by the PCT's recommendation to the combined Bradford and Airedale PCT.

The trust board heard yesterday that more than half of the Airedale PCT GP practices require expansion or new premises so they are fit for the purpose of delivering high quality health care.