Patients visiting Airedale Hospital’s accident and emergency department can now watch TV.

Wilsden healthcare furniture manufacturer James Spencer & Co has donated a plasma television to the unit.

Gavin Anderson, matron for A&E at Airedale NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive this fantastic donation. Coming to A&E can be a worrying and emotional time for many people and particularly for young children, so anything we can offer to take their mind off their treatment can make a difference.”

James Spencer & Co, like the NHS, has just celebrated its 60th anniversary and wanted to mark the milestone by supporting its local hospital.

It has been supplying furniture, including bedside lockers and over-bed tables, to Airedale Hospital for many years.

Nick James, the company’s commercial manager, said: “We are proud of our association with Airedale Hospital and as a local employer we wanted to put something back into the local community.

“We thought this would be a good way to make a practical difference to the A&E waiting area.”

Airedale Hospital’s A&E department treats an average of 150 patients a day. Last month it was given top marks by the independent watchdog, the Healthcare Commission.