Airedale Hospital has been given almost £1.5 million to deal with any “emergency demand” it will face in the upcoming winter months.

The money is part of £250 million funding announced by the Government on Tuesday, which will be used for both short-term help to deal with winter and a more long-term shake-up of A&E departments.

Airedale’s A&E department has been particularly hard-hit in recent months, with the number of people having to wait more than four hours rising by 265 per cent in the past year.

The Steeton hospital will get £1,450,000 in “emergency demand funding” from the latest Government windfall.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced grants to 53 different NHS trusts, and said the funding will go towards “fundamentally changing” A&E services.

He also announced that from next year, NHS services will be more joined up, with patients being given a named clinician who would co-ordinate their care from hospitals to care homes to home care.

l Keighley people are being given the chance to tell inspectors what they think of services at Airedale Hospital.

The Care Quality Commission is staging a “listening event” at Victoria Hall, Keighley, next Thursday, from 6.30pm to 8pm.

Anyone wishing to attend can register at registration.livegroup .co.uk/cqclistening events/, or simply turn up.

People wanting to make their views known but unable to be at the meeting can visit cqc.org.uk/ public/sharing-your-experience, e-mail enquiries@cqc.org.uk or call 03000 616161.