COUNCILLORS have been told of the "challenging" financial pressures facing local health organisations.

Clinical Commissioning Groups plan and fund health care in local areas, and local CCG representatives recently gave an annual update to Bradford Council.

Members of the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee were given an update on the performance of Bradford's CCG's when they were told that financial issues had led to one being downgraded from an "outstanding" rating to a "good" one.

There are currently three CCGs in Bradford - Bradford City, Bradford Districts and Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Members of the committee were told that the NHS regularly monitors the performance of CCGs based on a number of indicators, and that there were areas of improvement in local CCGs this year.

However, The Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven judgement fell from outstanding.

CQC publishes report on Airedale NHS Foundation Trust

The report to the committee said: "This change was primarily as a consequence of the CCG agreeing a deficit financial plan for 2019/20. It is not seen as a reflection of any real deterioration in AWCCCG’s performance."

At the meeting Kerry Weir, deputy director of planning at the CCG, said: "It is financially challenging.

"The rating for Airedale is based on financial pressures.

"Dealing with these pressures is not getting easier for any of the three CCGs. A lot more work needs to be done to deal with the financial system across the health system.

"There is only so much money coming in, but we are doing all we can to deliver services."

But she added: "We are seeing improvements in many areas, it is not all doom and gloom."

Areas where the AWCCCCG were improving included childhood obesity, unplanned admissions following a fall, antibiotic prescribing, carers feeling supported, cancer diagnosed at an early stage and one year survival from cancer, and dementia diagnosis rate.

In the Bradford City CCG areas of improvement include zero mental health out of area placements, a reduction in the use of inpatient beds for people with learning disabilities, an increase in the number of people with learning disabilities who have an annual physical health check, dementia diagnosis and a reduction in delayed discharges from hospital.

The Bradford District CCG saw improvements were in areas such as learning disabilities inpatient reduction, learning disabilities physical health checks, dementia diagnosis and support, delayed discharges, extended access in primary care and patient safety sepsis awareness.

The report added: "Across all three CCGs, there is still work to do to reduce urgent care admissions for conditions which could be managed out of a hospital setting. Managing demand on urgent care services continues to be challenging across the system as we continue to see higher than planned growth in A&E attendances and increased complexity in those needing urgent care."