Action Zone bid to wipe out ill-health

Health secretary Frank Dobson was today expected to confirm in a House of Commons statement that Bradford has been successful in a bid to become a Health Action Zone, one of only 14 in the country.

The announcement will unlock £3-4 million over seven years for health services in deprived parts of inner city Bradford and Keighley, under a flagship Government policy to target health inequalities. A series of initiatives to tackle causes of chronic illness will be implemented in a pioneering, community-wide partnership, involving not only the health service but schools, social services, voluntary organisations and business.

Targets are expected to include heart disease, diabetes, mental health, children and young people's health, developing services of GPs and dentists and improving access to services.

Zone status will lead to the slashing of red tape and give the area priority in bids for National Lottery funding for health projects. Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: "If it is confirmed it will be great news for Bradford.

"There is a great responsibility for Bradford to get this right because we will be seen by the rest of the country as one of the leading lights.

"It is a partnership put together in Bradford which augers well for the future."

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney last week met Health Minister Alan Milburn to press the case for Bradford.

"Health Action Zones will help to start addressing the problems of poor health, due to economic and social deprivation, that blights many parts of the district and large parts of my constituency," he said.

"I hope that this will be more good news for the people of Bradford and mark the start of a concerted effort by all the agencies involved to tackle the causes and consequences of the poor health of the district."

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