A plan for doctors to prescribe benefits advice as well as medicines has been attacked by GPs.

The Director for Public Health in Calderdale and Kirklees, Professor Chris Worth, has come under fire from a doctors' body after suggesting GPs, community nurses and health visitors could soon be giving out benefits and welfare tips in a bid to improve health.

The idea was proposed in Prof Worth's annual report in which he claimed health was affected by social factors such as housing, income and education.

But Dr Alan Brook, secretary of the Calderdale and Kirklees Local Medical Committee, said GPs had neither the time nor the training to provide such a service to the public.

Dr Brook, who represents 300 GPs, said: "GPs have more than enough to do without getting involved in benefits advice.

"It's something he's put up as an idea but it would be extremely inefficient on the face of it and not a good use of doctors' time.

"Although GPs are very accessible to the public they are not best placed to give benefits advice. I've never heard of this idea before."

Prof Worth's report, published this week, highlights what he believes the Health Authority can do to tackle inequalities which exist between people.

He said: "Many local people are suffering hardships because they are not claiming all the benefits they are entitled to.

"One way to tackle this is for doctors to help some of the many patients they see every day by explaining about all the different benefits available."

Director of Public Health for Bradford Dr Kee Kyle said she fully agreed with Dr Worth's vision for the future and was planning to provide benefits and welfare advice in GP surgeries - but with specialist workers, not GPs, providing the service.

She said: "GPs and nurses need to be able to maximise the time they spend doing what they are best at - treating people's health needs."

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