An action group which aims to improve the health of Bradford district's ethnic minority communities will start work today.

The pioneering group is believed to be the first in the country to include both the bodies which buy health care for patients and front-line organisations which provide it alongside community representatives.

The Health Equality Action Team hopes to play a key role in the schemes and organisations which plan to improve health throughout the district.

It will build on work undertaken by its predecessors the Black and Ethnic Minority Health of Bradford Group and the Black and Ethnic Minority Strategic Programme Team.

Manoj Joshi, chairman of HEAT, said: "This is an exciting venture and, because our main focus is on action rather than merely words, it is one which will have a positive effect on the health of the whole community."

He said the group hoped to build on the moves made by its predecessors and pool expertise and experience.

HEAT is to work with Bradford's Health Action Zone, which was given Government cash to improve health in the district. The group hopes to attract more funding into the city to improve ill health and tackle inequalities in health.

Group member Dilshad Khan, of Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, said good work had been going on in the area of policies and thought in this line of work, and the new group hoped to put this into action.

HEAT's official launch was taking place today at the Carlisle Business Centre in Manningham.

Figures reveal that about 19 per cent of the Bradford district's population is made up of ethnic minority groups, and the figures is set to rise to 21 per cent.

Councillor Ralph Berry said: "Bradford is recognised as being at the forefront nationally of shaping health and social care to meet the changing needs of the community and we hope that HEAT will play a role in enhancing this reputation further."

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