PARTS of Bradford will receive less than half as much emergency NHS cash as some areas in the south, new analysis shows.

The district's three Clinical Commissioning Groups have been handed a total of £9.7 million from the £2 billion fund, announced amid growing fears of an NHS “crisis”.

Bradford Districts CCG will receive a rise of 1.71 per cent or £6.8m, Bradford City CCG will get more in percentage terms, an increase of 2.08 per cent which equates to £2.4m, while Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven has received a rise of only 0.24 per cent or £500,000.

Calderdale, North Kirklees and Leeds West also only receive a 0.24 per cent rise, the lowest anywhere in England.

In contrast, other areas – mainly in London and the south-east – have been given funding boosts of more than 3.5 per cent, for the 2015/16 financial year.

NHS England argues the extra cash is going to areas which are currently underfunded and which have “the greatest health needs, where the population is growing rapidly”.

Helen Hirst, chief officer for NHS Bradford City and NHS Bradford Districts CCGs, said: “I’m pleased that we have been allocated extra funding for 2015/16 in line with other CCGs that are currently below their fair share of resources giving us higher than the minimum uplift of 1.94 per cent for CCGs announced by NHS England.

"This is very important as the Bradford CCGs have some of the worst health inequalities in the country and we need extra resources to address this.

COMMENT: MONEY SHOULD GO TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED

"Although our allocation increases are among the highest in Yorkshire and the Humber, we still face significant challenges in delivering our strategy and continuing to commission high quality services that meet the needs of local people and help improve their health and well-being.”

A spokesman for NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG said: "We will explore new ways of delivering more joined up services with our partners to address the financial challenges ahead.”

The allocations divide up the £1.1bn of the £2bn which has been given to Clinical Commissioning Groups to 'buy’ treatments, it is meant to support the day-to-day work of nurses and doctors.

But a fierce row erupted in the Commons earlier this week as MPs from other Northern areas protested at receiving a “pittance” despite Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt insisting he played no part in the funding allocations, which were a matter for the independent NHS England.

Analysis by the Health Service Journal (HSJ), found the biggest increases had gone to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in areas with Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs.

Labour Councillor Vanda Greenwood, who is chairman of Bradford Council's health scrutiny committee, said: "It's pure politics, it's a disgrace. Money has been taken away from our area and been given to areas where the Government thinks it will get more votes."

Bradford West Respect MP George Galloway also described the differing allocations as vote sweeteners.

"You couldn't get a clearer example of pork barrel politics, feeding and sweetening Tory and Lib Dem constituencies in order to secure votes," he said.

"No great surprise that the poorer parts of the country, like Bradford, where no amount of bribes will encourage people to vote for this despised Coalition, get the scrapings."

Bradford East Liberal Democrat MP David Ward said: "I would expect any allocation to be based on identified needs with reference to the degree of pressures each area is suffering. It needs to be objective and fair."

Ten CCGs are gaining 3.7 per cent or more, including in Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead, Bedfordshire, Bromley, in Kent, and in Slough. The list is topped by East Staffordshire, which gets a 4.28 per cent increase – an extra £5.8m for 2015/16.

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