OTLEY'S MP is calling on the Health Secretary to help get empty wards at Wharfedale Hospital reopened.

Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Leeds North West) raised the issue with Jeremy Hunt in the House of Commons this week.

Local NHS clinical commissioning groups announced last summer – following months of campaigning – that they were considering opening a 40-bed intermediary care service at the Otley hospital.

The proposed facility would aim to provide short-term non-acute care and "ensure easier access for those living in the north and west of the city".

There has been a long-running campaign, led by Mr Mulholland, the Support Wharfedale Hospital Campaign and ward councillors Sandy Lay and Kate Whelan, to bring Wharfedale's two closed wards back into use.

Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, he said: "Leeds has a shortage of integrated care beds and pressure on acute services.

"Will the Secretary of State please intervene, so that Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust can open wards at Wharfedale Hospital, which it wants to do, while the clinical commissioning group provides the money?"

Mr Hunt said he would be “very happy to look at that".

Commenting afterwards, Mr Mulholland added: "I am pleased the Secretary of State for Health has agreed to look into the matter.

"We have a shortage of integrated care beds and real pressure on acute hospitals, yet we have empty wards at Wharfedale Hospital.

"The sooner we can reopen the wards, the sooner we can relieve pressure on other local health facilities.

"I will be writing to Jeremy Hunt to follow up on this and help push this long-running campaign."

The currently unused wards at Wharfedale Hospital were closed in 2007 and 2011.