NEWS that Airedale Hospital's rebuild can go ahead has been welcomed.

The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that the scheme won't be affected by the Government's current review of the New Hospital Programme.

A department spokesperson said those hospitals with approved full business cases or that were wholly or mostly constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which was found to have a limited lifespan, are now "out of scope" – so can proceed.

The move means that 21 of the 46 schemes listed under the New Hospital Programme, including Airedale, have had the question mark lifted – although full business case approval will still be needed for each scheme to receive funding confirmation.

Foluke Ajayi, chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, welcomes the decision.

She says: "It is absolutely fantastic to have confirmation that Airedale Hospital is out of scope for the New Hospital Programme review and the scheme will be going ahead.

"With RAAC areas making up 83 per cent of our estate, we need a new hospital so we can continue providing services for our local communities; as such we have been carrying on with our work to prepare for having a new hospital in place by 2030.

"We are delighted that the need for a new Airedale Hospital has been recognised, and very grateful for the support we have had from our partners and the local communities.

"Our journey to our new hospital is now moving into the second stage, which is getting the site ready.

"We will also be continuing with the structural support programme across the hospital to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and staff, until the time comes that we can move into our new hospital."

Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore says: "I am pleased that following additional lobbying in Parliament and the continued hard work of our fantastic Airedale NHS trust, we have now secured an assurance from the new Government that Airedale Hospital will no longer be a part of Labour’s New Hospital Programme 'review'.

"This means that plans for our new hospital will continue to proceed at pace – and my role will now be to ensure the works are completed by 2030, as previously announced.

"Since the general election, the new Labour Government has created unnecessary fear across our community through its announcement to review the Airedale Hospital rebuild programme.

"That’s why following the announcement I wrote directly to our new Health Secretary and raised the matter directly in the House of Commons with new Chancellor Rachel Reeves, urgently stressing the need to keep plans for our new hospital on track."

In a joint statement, Keighley Labour district councillors said: "We welcome this decision – it is the sensible and right thing to do for this community.

"We wrote to the Secretary of State Wes Streeting and Shipley MP Anna Dixon to lobby for this result and speak up for our residents.

"We're pleased we have been heard and that Keighley, Ilkley and the whole of the area will be able to access much-needed state-of-the-art facilities. We believe the new-build hospital will help reduce health inequalities across the area."

Shipley constituency MP Anna Dixon said: “I am thrilled to hear that the rebuilding of Airedale Hospital will continue at pace.

“The hospital's services, which include significant urgent and acute, elective and specialist care, are crucial to the health and well-being of residents across my constituency.

“I know that the staff at the hospital and many local residents will be relieved following today's announcement, and I would like to thank the government and the Health Secretary for pushing ahead with these plans despite the dire financial situation they have inherited from the Conservatives.

“I would also like to thank the hospital leadership, the local Keighley councillors, the Leader of Bradford Council and the local community for keeping up the pressure on this issue.

“I am dedicated to ensuring that every resident within Shipley constituency has access to the highest level of health care facilities, and a new Airedale Hospital is a cornerstone of that commitment.”

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting, added: “Airedale Hospital will not be included in the review of the New Hospital Programme, we recognise that hospitals made primarily from RAAC are a priority to ensure patient and staff safety.

“Anna Dixon has been a tireless campaigner for rebuilding Airedale Hospital and has made a strong case for it to be a priority. However, unlike the previous government, I am not prepared to mislead local people over the cost and offer false hope about how soon they will benefit from the facilities they deserve.

“We are working at pace because I recognise how important it is that we commit to a realistic timetable to complete this scheme and deliver the healthcare facility local people need, and deserve.

“We will not play fast and loose with the public finances, nor will we play fast and loose with people’s trust as the previous Government did.”