Health leaders have teamed-up with a drug and alcohol misuse charity to give “vital” help to the 92,000 people in Bradford and Airedale who drink at hazardous levels.

Of those, 17,000 are drinking harmful amounts and NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) hope their work with the Lifeline Project will help people get support more easily by offering it at GP surgeries.

The service, funded by more than £200,000 from the Bradford City and Bradford Districts CCGs, is available at more than 30 practices, but the aim is to reach all surgeries in the district.

Matt Birch, operations manager at Lifeline Bradford, said: “The stigma attached to walking into alcohol support centres can deter some people from coming forward and asking for help, so taking the service into GP practices can help make it easier for people to deal with.”

For information contact your GP practice or call (01274) 735775.