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Doctors' leaders are calling for a chief medical officer to advise London's mayor when the Greater London authority is created.

The British Medical Association's demand follows calls from the King's Fund for a public health director for London.

Both organisations are pressing for the mayor to be given a 'duty to promote the health of Londoners' in the Greater London Authority Bill now being considered by Parliament.

The BMA's council backed a motion last week calling for the mayor and GLA to produce a 'specific health strategy for London', assess every strategy and policy for its impact on health and create a designated chief medical officer for the capital.

A 'clear duty' should be placed on the mayor 'to promote the health of Londoners'.

King's Fund director of public health programmes Anna Coote said health had been 'marginalised' in the bill.

The mayor would have 'explicit duties and powers in other areas' such as the environment, jobs and transport, which were 'inextricably linked' to health, she said.

BMA council chair Dr Ian Bogle said London had 'substantial health needs' with a 'very mobile' and ethnically mixed population of up to 9 million, swollen by commuters and tourists.

The health service had to deal with poor and homeless people and asylum seekers but there were 'huge variations' in the level of health services provision.

'We have to have a strategy that is very specific for London because of these pressures,' Dr Bogle said.

'The mayor will carry clout with government and that requires specialist advice.'

The bill is before a standing committee of the House of Commons and is due to go back to the Lords at the end of March. It gives the mayor power to appoint two political advisers and 10 officials.

The BMA is set to draft a series of amendments to the bill for MPs and Lords to suggest, following the council resolutions.

Ms Coote said a public health director would be preferable to a chief medical officer. 'It doesn't need to be a doctor; it could be someone with a health policy background,' she said.

A spokesperson for minister for London Nick Raynsford said he was 'reviewing the provisions on the mayor's public health role'.