Health bosses in North Bradford are looking for people to take part in a ground-breaking council to champion the rights of people who use health services in the district.

North Bradford Primary Care Trust (PCT) is looking to set up a consumer council which will give patients a say in decisions about health.

Lesley Sterling-Baxter, assistant director of patient empowerment and consumer development, said: "The idea of the consumer council is that its members will be able to look at health services from the point of view of the customer.

"We want people who will listen to views from all parts of the community and make sure we hear those views and include them in our planning."

She said that council members would be involved in recruiting and training staff, and provide reports to the trust board.

It will be made up of 20 members, who all need to be registered with a GP in the area covered by the PCT. This includes Idle, Shipley, Undercliffe, Wrose, Baildon, Saltaire, Greengates and Heaton. Members will be paid £1,000 a year, plus expenses, and will need to attend monthly meetings.

"We want people to represent all the patients using the service, so the council will need to be diverse in terms of age, disability, minority groups, people with chronic conditions and people who are both ill and well.

"We will need people who are comfortable with working at all levels, from people in the street to members of our board, but most of all people who want to help us make the changes to the local NHS that really matter to patients."

If you are interested, write a letter of application and CV, if available, covering no more than two sides of A4 and setting out your skills and why you would like to be a member.

Send it to Lesley Sterling-Baxter, Assistant Director of Patient Empowerment and Consumer Development, North Bradford Primary Care Trust, New Mill, Victoria Road, Saltaire, Shipley, BD18 3LD or e-mail: lesley.sterling-baxter@bradford.nhs.uk

For more details ring Kay Hines at North Bradford PCT on (01274) 366288.