A delegation of Chinese health managers visited Airedale on a fact-finding mission to discover more about the NHS.

The group of 24 project managers and interpreters from Beijing visited Airedale Hospital and GP practices, in Bradford and Keighley, and talked to managers from the primary care trust.

For some of the group it was their first trip out of China. The purpose was to discover more about the running of health care in this country, the funding mechanisms and the decision-making processes.

The visit is part of the China/UK Urban Health and Poverty Project -- a national pilot scheme aimed at developing affordable and sustainable models of community health services and improving access for the poor to services.

It is funded by the Department for International Development UK.

The project is being run in partnership with the Nuffield Institute for Health, part of Leeds University, and during their visit to this country the Chinese health workers will take part in intensive training on areas such as management of change.

Staff from the Nuffield Institute have also travelled to China to deliver training.

Spokesman Cath Conn said: "China has made considerable health gains since 1949. Visiting Airedale Primary Care Trust will help this group of managers to reflect analytically on their own health system, as well as providing a fascinating insight into the experiences and challenges of fellow health managers from another culture."

The delegation was welcomed by Pam Essler, vice-chairman of Airedale Primary Care Trust, and was given various presentations. The group also visited the maternity ward.