A member of Airedale's Primary Care Trust has questioned whether it is "paying lip service" to the idea of race equality in both employing and treating ethnic minorities in the NHS.

Non executive director and Bradford councillor Khadim Hussain is now demanding action to ensure barriers to careers in health are removed.

Speaking at Wednesday's PCT board meeting, Cllr Hussain said: "What I want to see is some progress. The race equality scheme was set up three years ago.

"I want some facts and figures to say we have made some tremendous progress. Are we paying lip service to this?

"My job is to ensure we have equality but I'm concerned issues are not being addressed. We need a framework of action that fits into the bigger picture."

Mr Hussain, pictured, was responding to a report presented to the trust board by the head of equality and diversity, Ali Jan Haider.

Dr Ian Rutter, chief executive of the PCT said: "It is relatively time consuming to pull all the figures together.

"I feel you can be assured an awful lot of work is being done in this area.

"We can show in detail what sort of work is being done."

Mr Haider outlined schemes run by the PCT during the past three years to improve equality and diversity. One project was the Race for Health -- a £35,000 scheme which encouraged PCTs to look closely at selected services or policies which directly affect black and ethnic minority communities, with a view to radically improving the services.

The project identified areas of unnecessary delay and gleaned feedback and comments from carers.

PCTs across the district also hosted a project to tackle barriers to employment and careers in the NHS faced by black and minority communities and disabled people.

The area was also chosen as one of 17 test sites to pioneer a new best practice scheme tackling racism in mental health services.