The chairman of Bradford City Teaching Primary Care Trust bowed out yesterday with a plea for his successors to continue the battle against health inequalities in the district.

Mohammed Ajeeb was chairing the last joint board meeting of the district's four primary care trusts before the creation of a new single organisation - Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trust - on Sunday.

He closed the meeting at Douglas Mill by saying those in charge of health services in the district should always put the patient first.

He called for greater efforts to be made in finding out what services people wanted and needed and for health organisations to respond accordingly.

"I wish the new organisation every success in improving services for the very diverse community of Bradford, which is becoming even more diverse with more eastern European people coming to the city," he said.

He said one concern, shared jointly by all four outgoing chairmen, was the possibility that money earmarked for addressing health inequalities could be diverted to other services.

Mr Ajeeb said: "Health inequalities are still prevalent in deprived parts of the city and money should not be redirected to other things.

"We need to leave this most important message to our successors to continue to address health inequalities."

He added it had been a privilege to work in the NHS in Bradford during a time when many local innovations had been emulated nationally.

Matt Walsh, who took over from Barbara Hakin as programme director to lead the transition to one primary care trust, expressed his thanks to all staff who had worked hard to bring the organisation together while maintaining high standards of patient care.

"Because of this hard work we are able to leave a strong legacy for the newly founded Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT to build upon," he said.

From Monday, Simon Morritt will be the new chief executive of the PCT, which will be responsible for all community-based health services such as GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians.

He comes directly from a job as interim director of strategy and system reform at Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority.

Former chairman of Bradford District Care Trust John Chuter, of Keighley, is the new chairman.

e-mail: claire.lomax@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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