HEALTH service bosses are hoping a new 'save it don’t waste it' campaign will help claw back £17.6million to revive their cash-strapped budget.

Earlier this year the district’s three local clinical commission groups revealed they had to find ways of making that saving to close funding gaps between their 2016/17 annual budgets and the increasing cost of healthcare.

To help make those vital savings, NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, NHS Bradford City and NHS Bradford Districts CCGs have started a rolling campaign called It’s Your NHS, Don’t Waste It, asking the public to play an active part in helping them cut costs.

In Bradford Districts CCG, the gap is around £10.4m, it is £2.6m in NHS Bradford City and in NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG, it is £4.6m.

The CCGs are now asking people to use pharmacies more for general health advice, to buy medicines over the counter instead of asking GPs for a prescription and to reduce waste by cancelling repeat prescriptions no longer needed.

The cost of prescriptions issued by GPs in 2015/16, was £54.6m for Bradford Districts CCG, £16.5m for Bradford City CCG and £25.8m for Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG - £25.8m.

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CCG bosses says by making those changes as part of the campaign, people will help make the most out of every pound spent on services as well as eliminating waste.

Dr Andy Withers, clinical chairman of Bradford Districts CCG said: “We need everyone to understand why this is needed and change how they use the NHS.

"Together we can ensure those that need NHS services can continue to get them. Without these changes there is a very real threat that NHS services will not be available in the future in as timely and accessible way as they are now.”

And Dr Akram Khan, clinical chairman of Bradford City CCG, added: “The decisions we are making are tough. Our CCG has a strong record of financial management, and we need to be able to adapt and keep up with the demand for local services and make sure our population continues to receive high quality care.”

The campaign is part of a national programme to get the NHS real value for money while making every patient count. Nationally, the NHS needs to save £22bn by 2020/21.

Dr Phil Pue, chief clinical officer, NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG, said: “The NHS belongs to all of us - to help it survive and achieve the required efficiencies we need to make simple but necessary changes. We know how passionate people are about the NHS and the local health services they receive so we hope they will support this campaign.”