People of Bradford and Airedale are being reassured that they will receive high quality, safe, improved patient care despite a radical reorganisation of the National Health Service.

Although the district’s primary care trust, NHS Bradford and Airedale, will cease to exist by 2013, health bosses at the organisation have pledged to stay focused on improving frontline health services and reducing inequalities, as well as supporting GPs with setting up consortia which will take over their commissioning role.

The board of NHS Bradford and Airedale met yesterday and confirmed its commitment to driving out efficiency savings – reducing management costs by 45 per cent by 2014.

Wherever possible, this is being achieved through working efficiently, voluntary redundancy, early retirement and more part-time working.

In the coming months a crucial role of health managers in NHS Bradford and Airedale will be to work with GP leaders to develop GP commissioning as well as working with Bradford Council on the emerging arrangements for improving local democracy in the NHS.

A new National Public Health Service is to be created which will set national objectives to improve health which will have a greater emphasis on research, analysis, and evaluation. It will be the responsibility of local authorities to put these into practice.

Helen Hirst, deputy chief executive of NHS Bradford and Airedale, said: “There are some tough challenges ahead with a significant amount of detailed planning that still needs to be done and we need to retain the talent in our workforce as we go forward. “It is important that we take every opportunity that we can to influence the future direction of the local NHS and build on the good work that has been done.”

Anita Sims, director of public health, who is employed by Bradford Council and NHS Bradford and Airedale, said: “The Government has shown a firm commitment to public health which is good news. We already have a history of close working in Bradford between the many organisations that can influence the health of our population, including the local authority and health providers.

“We look forward to building on this in the future to improve the health of our local communities.”