A HEALTH watchdog has reacted angrily to swingeing cuts to its budget in Bradford.

The district was named as one of ten places in England worst hit by cuts to the patients' champion Healthwatch, which is funded through local authorities.

Healthwatch England said the funding for its work in the Bradford district had been slashed by more than a quarter for 2015/16, from £308,692 to £223,692.

It has now written to Bradford Council urging it to publicly outline how it is delivering its statutory obligation to fund an effective local Healthwatch.

Anna Bradley, chairman of Healthwatch England, said: "We recognise that local authorities are having to cope with their own cuts but the majority of councils have recognised the value local Healthwatch bring and have managed to maintain investment.

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"We urge those councils that have decided to impose such severe cuts to outline why they have made this decision and how they will ensure the public are provided with the voice they need to influence the big decisions around how local health and care services are delivered."

A spokesman for Healthwatch Bradford and District said the cut would "place it among the poorest funded Healthwatch in the country".

She said in the first two years since it was set up, Healthwatch Bradford and District had lost more than a third of its council funding.

She said: "Healthwatch has made a real difference to services across Bradford district and our committed team of staff and volunteers are working hard to build on this and continue reaching out to people across the district and representing their views.

"But with this significant funding cut we have been forced to make difficult decisions and cut back on the volume of work we can do; we welcome Healthwatch England’s call for the council to publicly account for their decision."

But a spokesman for Bradford Council said there had been concern about the amount of money Healthwatch was spending on overheads.

He said: "The decision to reduce funding was one in a wide-ranging package of cuts totalling some £35 million.

"The Council’s decision reflected a concern about the amount of the grant which Healthwatch was spending on overheads.

"Now that issue has been resolved, the amount spent on Healthwatch in Bradford is in line with other areas without any further impact on services.

"At a time when councils are being challenged with declining budgets, it is vital that the Council and Healthwatch work closely together to focus on providing services within affordable budgets."