FAMILY doctors in Wharfedale this week criticised health bosses for ignoring their wishes over a radical shake-up.

Primary health services - family doctors and community nurses - are to be split into four groups in the Bradford district in a controversial reorganisation in the area.

The decision, made by regional NHS chiefs to create four primary care groups, plans to give doctors and community nurses a greater say in how health services are developed.

It means GPs in Ilkley and Menston have lost a fight to link up with colleagues in Otley and Guiseley.

Instead they will join a group also covering Bingley, Keighley, Haworth and Silsden.

Bradford Health Authority had supported a partnership between Ilkley, Menston, Otley and Guiseley GPs.

However the move was effectively blocked by health chiefs in Leeds who were against linking services across authority boundaries.

The remaining three primary care groups in the area, which emerged following frequently heated discussions between GPs, will cover north Bradford, inner city Bradford and west and south Bradford.

Ann Wagner, director of performance at Bradford Health Authority, said boards for the new groups would be formed in coming weeks and would begin operating in April.

"We were happy to support the GPs in Ilkley but clearly there had to be a strong case for a cross-boundary primary care group and Leeds Health Authority made their decision," she said.

"Ilkley GPs will now be part of the process in forming the Worth Valley group."

Dr John Thompson, of the Menston and Guiseley practice, said the health authority had given more weight to the wishes of Leeds City Council than doctors and nurses working there.

"We feel that we have put a lot of effort into this, but despite having a very good and well-founded plan, the Leeds Health Authority has gone against our wishes.

"They have made it quite difficult for some Bradford practices to fall in with a natural primary care group and we feel that this will be detrimental to the future care of our patients, although we will give it our best shot to make it work as well as possible," he said.

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