Bradford health authority has been named as one of the worst in the country in new league tables marking performance.

Out of 120 British authorities, Bradford ranks 100th according to lists drawn up by health think tank the King's Fund and Channel 4.

The district is also placed as the worst health provider in the county with Leeds health authority reaching 75th position and Calderdale and Kirklees 90th.

The so-called Sick List is based on death rates from cancer and heart disease, hospital waiting lists, hip operations and deaths from "avoidable" diseases such as TB and asthma.

They are some of the same statistics which the NHS uses to measure its performance.

Bradford's Director of Public Health, Dr Dee Kyle, said: "The fact that Bradford currently does not score highly in a health list is no surprise."

She said restricted health funding had played a part.

"Moreover, Public Health Minister Yvette Cooper has said the survey findings were 'exactly in line with government priorities for health care'.

"However, everyone in Bradford is working to reduce the variations in health between the best and worst parts of England and the best and the worst areas within Bradford."

She added that such work involved tackling the root causes of ill health and ensuring that services available to Bradford residents for both health and social care continued to improve.

The research showed that Manchester has the highest rates in the country for heart disease, cancer and avoidable diseases and male life expectancy is four years below the national average of 74.

Oxfordshire has some of the lowest death rates for cancer and heart disease and achieved its top spot partly because it has a more affluent population.

John Appleby, director of health systems at the King's Fund, said: "The survey shows us that health authorities in deprived areas face an uphill struggle to tackle the health gap between rich and poor.

"It may now be time to re-examine the levels of funding they receive to help them make significant changes in their communities."

The findings were presented in a Channel 4 programme The Sick List: The NHS From Best To Worst.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.