Wakefield Council has announced proposals to establish a shadow health and wellbeing board for the district.

The shadow board will be responsible for developing the role of the health and wellbeing board, and for meeting new government legislation on the future of health and social care services.

From 2013 all councils are required to have a health and wellbeing board which will see partners come together to deliver joined up health and social care outcomes to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population.

Councillor Maureen Cummings, cabinet member for health, said: "We welcome the implementation of a health and wellbeing board which will help us to prioritise our community's needs and deliver comprehensive and robust healthcare services.

"The shadow board is extremely important in helping us to identify what services are most vital to our community and will allow us to begin strengthening our relationships with our partners to deliver high quality healthcare provisions right across the district."