Government proposals to shift NHS care from hospitals into the community have been welcomed by Bradford health chiefs.

Primary Care Trust managers in the district say the White Paper builds on developments already happening across Bradford and Airedale.

The plans are outlined in Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, a new direction in community services - the Government's White Paper on improving community health and care services, published yesterday.

It aims to provide people with more choice and say over the care they receive in the community and closer working between health and social care.

More support for people with long term conditions, local partnerships between local authorities and primary care trusts and a new generation of community hospitals and health centres are also included.

Other new measures outlined in the paper include: a new NHS "Life Check" to assess people's lifestyle risks; giving patients a guarantee of registration onto a GP practice list close to where they live; introducing incentives to GP practices to extend opening times; more investment in the Expert Patient Programme to help people with chronic illness and more support for carers including improved emergency respite arrangements.

A spokesman for the Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trusts said: "We have long been committed to bringing services closer to people's homes through the growth of GPs with special interests and by providing a greater range of traditionally hospital-based services in local health clinics and diagnostic and treatment centres.

"Bringing social care closer to health is also a key priority for us and the building of new health centres like the Manningham 'hub' and other developments across the district will provide even more services under one roof, at the heart of local communities.

"The proposal for healthy life checks is also a welcome addition to preventative health care as it will help to empower patients to look after themselves and their families."

Announcing the paper, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: ""Over the next ten years I want to see five per cent of resources shifted from secondary to primary care, which will help make primary and community services more responsive.

"We have listened to the public and Our Health, Our Care, Our Say will pave the way for many changes to the services people receive in the community."