More than £17 million is to be spent on modernising a hospital used by thousands of Selby area residents.

Pontefract General Infirmary (PGI) - used by 15,000 people in the southern end of Selby district each year - is to get one of the new generation of "fast-track" surgery centres.

The new diagnostic and treatment centre will be built alongside new recovery area facilities for patients who have undergone minor operations or day case surgery.

Pontefract's accident and emergency department - currently used by 2,500 people from the Selby area each year - will also be retained along with midwife-led delivery.

Wakefield Health Authority chiefs said the new investment, announced yesterday by Health Secretary Alan Milburn in the House of Commons, would finally banish fears that PGI would be reduced to cottage hospital status.

Mr Milburn also announced that £147 million would be invested in a new "acute" centre at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

But Selby District councillor John McCartney (Eggborough) said today the plans would downgrade accident and emergency facilities, with serious cases going to the new hospital at Pinderfields. A health authority spokeswoman said the A&E unit at PGI would be manned 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, by consultants - but confirmed that intensive care cases would be treated at Pinderfields.

Coun McCartney said: "I welcome the extra money being spent, but in all the consultations we made it clear that residents wanted to retain full A&E emergency cover at Pontefract with intensive care beds.

"If people involved in serious road accidents have to travel all the way to Wakefield, it will inevitably cost lives.

"We will become an accident and emergency blackhole."

Part of the £17 million will be spent on refurbishment, with the rest on new buildings and new equipment. There are also plans to concentrate facilities on one side of the road.

Selby MP John Grogan said: "I have been assured by the health authority that 90 per cent of people using PGI will continue to use it following this new investment.

"It's good news for Selby constituents who will now have a modern health service on their doorsteps."

Updated: 14:46 Friday, February 16, 2001