TWO projects helping improve the lives of thousands of people in Bradford have been shortlisted for a major national healthcare award.

Bradford Beating Diabetes and Bradford’s Healthy Hearts are up for the 2015 primary care innovation award by the Health Service Journal.

So far, the projects have identified and treated thousands of people who have, or are at risk of, diabetes and cardiovascular disease which is Bradford's biggest killer, including conditions such as strokes, coronary heart disease and heart failure

Bradford’s Healthy Hearts’ wants to reduce the number of people in Bradford dying from cardiovascular disease by a minimum of ten per cent by 2020, preventing 150 strokes and 350 heart attacks.

It has been working with doctors and patients from GP practices in Bradford Districts Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and will soon be rolling out to Bradford City CCG areas.

Bradford Beating Diabetes (BBD) is already one of seven national demonstrator sites for the national Diabetes Prevention Programme, sharing its expertise with other areas in the country.

Since the campaign got under way in 2013, there are now about 1,000 newly-diagnosed patients in the city.

More than 12,000 people have completed the Diabetes UK risk assessment and received lifestyle advice while 6,000 have received a lifestyle intervention at their GP practice. About 800 people have been referred to the campaign’s intensive lifestyle change programme.

Dr Chris Harris, long-term conditions lead for Bradford Districts CCG, said: “We are immensely proud that the success of Bradford’s Healthy Hearts has been recognised.

"Working closely with hospital consultants and other health professionals, GPs in Bradford are pulling out all the stops to reduce the number of people suffering from cardiovascular disease. We are confident that Bradford’s Healthy Hearts is leading the way in the prevention, diagnosis and care of cardiovascular disease."

Dr Sohail Abbas GP, one of the clinicians leading the Bradford Beating Diabetes campaign, and a member of Bradford City Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Having already been chosen as one of the seven innovative demonstrator sites in the country, we are thrilled that our work is also being recognised in the Health Service Journal awards.

"Since 2013 we have made huge inroads into the numbers of people in Bradford who were unaware that they had, and were not being treated for, Type 2 diabetes."

The two campaigns will compete against each other, and other shortlisted projects at a judging process in London on October 9 and the awards will be presented at a ceremony on November 18.