Patients in Bradford can for the first time check how well their GP's surgery is performing after new official figures were published.

The data show how well doctors have scored on things such as appointment times and chronic disease care.

Of the four local health trusts, two scored above average and two below.

Under the system, known as the Quality and Outcomes Framework, GP practices score points for achievement against a range of factors such as the number of patients with heart disease who also receive a flu jab, patient experience, how well organised the practice is and what extra services, such as child immunisations, it offers.

It is a voluntary process that awards surgeries points for the care they give and the more points a practice receives and the more services they provide the more money they earn.

Health experts believe the system will make it easier to monitor patients with long-term conditions, such as heart disease.

On average nationwide practices achieved 91 per cent of the points available - or 959 out of a possible 1,050 points.

In Bradford South and West Primary Care Trust's area the 22 practices averaged 969.67 points and nine of the practices achieved points in excess of 1,015.

Dr Barbara Hakin, chief executive of Bradford South and West Primary Care Trust, said: "In Bradford South and West we are justifiable proud of the very high quality service which our practices provide to patients."

North Bradford Primary Care Trust's 12 practices scored an average of 672.7 points and Airedale Primary Care Trust's 16 practices scored an average of 995.7 points.

The average score for Airedale GPs was 94 per cent of the possible overall points available, compared to the national 91 per cent average.

The QOF data shows that North Bradford GPs scored 64.1 per cent for the overall points achieved by its GPs but a spokesman for the PCT said this is not a realistic picture because although the PCT worked to the same national standards, it used a different information system to collect its performance data - apart from information relating to clinical standards.

She said this enabled the PCT to identify trends and performance over a full year, allowing GPs to plan for the specific needs of their patients - rather than being restricted to a month by month focus.

The idea is to reward GPs for continuous improvement and development .

Ian Rutter, chief executive of both Airedale and North Bradford PCT, said: "We are delighted with the results which are a credit to the hard work of our local GPs as we have scored above the national average in all the indicators.

"Patients should see real benefits to the improvement of their care.

"Some of our successes in primary care preventative work have been to help more people to give up smoking, manage their blood pressure better and lower their cholesterol levels - which reduces their risk of heart disease."

Bradford City Teaching Primary Care Trust saw its 42 practices score an average of 773.9 points.

A spokesman for the PCT said: "All Bradford City tPCT's GP practices have made significant progress in carrying out the requirements of the QOF.

"This has been achieved through the hard work of the GPs and their staff, and with direct support from the tPCT providing extra GP, nursing, administrative and IT resources to practices. The QOF has helped the tPCT and its GPs to improve patient care by focusing on key areas.

"We are particularly pleased that the 'aspirational targets' for clinical indicators, set jointly by the tPCT and practices, have been exceeded.

"In assessing the QOF it is important to recognise the many challenges faced by our practices in delivering modern-day primary care in an inner city area with high levels of deprivation and ill health, particularly long-term conditions.

"Many of these issues are common to other PCTs with average scores similar to ours. Many practices are based in ageing, unsuitable premises which make it more difficult for them to meet some of the factors measured under the organisational aspects of the QOF.

"And there are also many single-handed GPs who face problems recruiting staff, such as practice nurses, who provide much of the clinical care which has been assessed. However, the QOF has given us an important marker of quality which, with the introduction of robust practice-based action plans, should allow every practice to score significantly better in 2005/06.

"We are also confident that as our major premises scheme to improve primary care moves ahead it will allow practices to develop their services and continue to raise standards of patient care."

To see how your GP has fared, visit www.ic.nhs.uk