EMERGENCY calls for help made by Airedale Hospital have soared, shocking new figures reveal.

In the past year, nearly 400 calls were made to the 999 service from the Steeton site – almost double the figure for the previous 12 months.

Concerns were raised this week about the massive increase, revealed through a Keighley News Freedom of Information request.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said that between April 1, 2015, and March 31 this year, there were 393 calls to 999, compared to 207 in the previous year.

The number of calls to the police non-emergency line, 101, also rose – from 584 to 652.

Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team lists among its priorities cutting the volume of 999 calls received from the hospital.

A spokesman said: "We are committed to reducing calls for service at Airedale Hospital and are working closely with the NHS Foundation Trust to see how this can be achieved.

"Emergency calls for service will always be treated as such, and will be responded to where there is a concern for safety or a crime in progress."

Hospital bosses said they were unable to provide examples of incidents that prompted a 999 call or a breakdown of which emergency service was required.

But they claim a proportion in the past year were down to its digital care system.

Stacey Hunter, director of operations at the trust, said: "The safety of our staff is a top priority and we provide a range of measures to support our teams, including CCTV and security staff on site.

"However, whilst we cannot provide a breakdown of the reasons behind all the 999 calls made from the hospital, we do know that more than 200 of the calls in 2015-16 were made by our digital care team, which supports hundreds of people in care homes and in their own homes, both locally and across the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"Although the team provides expert nursing support for patients remotely using secure video links, there are times when an ambulance is needed to take people to hospital, which the nurses request via 999.

"The rise in calls to 101 relates to a recent change in how we identify owners of vehicles obstructing emergency areas at the hospital so that we can trace them and ask for the cars to be moved to ensure emergency vehicles can access the hospital safely."

She added there has been a big increase in the number of care homes covered by the scheme, from 116 two years ago to 360 at present.

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins said he would be "very surprised" if any of the 999 calls made were unnecessary.

"I have immense admiration for the professionalism of Airedale staff, who – above all others – are fully aware of the importance of proper utilisation of the 999 service," he added.

lWhat do you think? We welcome letters on this or any other subject. E-mail richard.parker@nqyne.co.uk or write to the Content Editor, Keighley News, 80-86 North Street, Keighley BD21 3AG. Please include your full name, address and daytime telephone number.