AROUND 75 guests enjoyed a tour of Airedale Hospital’s new £6.3m Emergency Department before it opened last Wednesday.

They included Skipton Town Mayor Cllr John Dawson, local MPs Julian Smith and Andrew Stephenson, Barbara Hodkinson, founder of The Butterfly Scheme for patients with dementia, fundraisers, representatives from businesses, health and social care organisations and community groups, and people who had supported the project.

Bridget Fletcher, chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are thrilled with our much improved facilities and that they have been completed on schedule, ready for use during winter – our busiest time of year – to help us provide the best care we can for the thousands of people who will use the department on an annual basis.”