A NEW NHS "super-authority" which will swallow up North Yorkshire Health Authority looks set to have its headquarters in York.

In a letter sent to the city's MP, Hugh Bayley, the chairman of the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority, said a study of potential sites across the region had been made.

Professor David Johns said: "The appraisal concluded that the preferred broad location is the Selby and York area, and it ranked offices on the York Science Park most highly."

The new organisation will replace existing health authorities for North Yorkshire, East Riding and Hull and South Humber at the end of March. The change is designed to streamline the NHS.

The letter states: "None of the offices occupied by existing health authorities emerged as leading contenders for the strategic health authority premises, although we understand that each is likely to remain in NHS use.

"The next step is to prepare an outline business case, which will be considered by the shadow board of the authority at its meeting in March."

But Prof Johns said wherever the headquarters were, he realised that some areas of the huge region would feel cut off from it.

"We are very mindful that, whatever the choice of location, some may feel remote from the authority's offices," he said.

"Our commitment is to do whatever we can to work effectively with local organisations and communities to overcome the challenges posed by geography."

Mr Bayley today welcomed the news that York was the favoured choice for the headquarters' home.

"I am glad the new health authority has gone for York as the best base for its headquarters. York Science Park is the ideal location. It will help the new health authority to build links with the University of York's new medical school, which both the NHS and the university will benefit from."

It is not yet known if or how many jobs will be axed because of the merger, but it is expected that some staff from the current headquarters will be rehoused within the new primary care trusts.

Nationally, 28 giant health authorities will replace the existing 99.

Updated: 15:50 Tuesday, January 29, 2002