PATIENTS are overwhelmingly recommending Airedale Hospital as a place for their family and friends to get treatment, new figures show.

The latest Friends and Family Test has revealed that of the 24,962 patients surveyed in the past year, 97 per cent said they were "likely or extremely likely" to recommend Airedale's services.

And the Steeton hospital has received a congratulatory letter from the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt.

The findings have been welcomed by the chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Bridget Fletcher.

"This is a fantastic result for us and a real testament to our amazing staff who work so hard to give local people the best possible healthcare," she said.

"We do get a lot of compliments for individual services and staff, but a recommendation rate of 97 per cent shows that we're succeeding at what we do across the board.

"We can build on this success and I would like to thank our patients for such generous feedback."

In his letter, Mr Hunt praised the trust's 3,000-plus staff.

"The service they give makes a real difference to the lives of many of the area's sickest and most vulnerable patients," he said.

Full Friends and Family Test results can be found at nhs.uk.