People who want information and advice on GPs, hospitals, dentists or anything else health-related can now contact Bradford’s new consumer champion for health and social care.

Healthwatch Bradford and District has started its new information and signposting service to help people get the best health advice.

Daniel Park, information and signposting officer for Healthwatch Bradford and District, said: “With all the different changes happening in health and social care right now, it can be confusing and difficult for people to find out about services they need or to know who they can speak to. My job is to guide people through the system and help them to get to the information or services they need.”

The information and signposting service can give details of: l health and social care providers l services like hospitals, GPs and dentists l social care providers like care homes and support services l community services like advice centres or support groups.

Healthwatch is an independent organisation and can give up-to-date information to help people to compare services and then decide what is best for their needs.

If people have a complaint or concern over a health or social care service in Bradford and district, Healthwatch will put them in touch with the right people to listen to the concern or take the complaint further.

It will record concerns raised and use it to build up a picture of where health and social care services in the district might need to improve.

This information will then be fed back to other local and national organisations to make sure that people’s voices are heard and used to change services.

Meanwhile the vacancy for the chairman of Healthwatch has yet to be filled.

The deadline has been extended for another month and it is hoped someone will be in post by the end of June.

Application packs can still be found at healthwatchbradford.co.uk.

To contact the information line, call 0300 56 10 987 or visit the website healthwatchbradford.co.uk and a member of the team will answer any queries.

The phone line will be answered by a member of staff between 9.30am and 12.30pm Monday to Friday and a message service is available outside those hours.