North no smoking efforts praised

Efforts to stop people smoking in parts of north-east England have been praised by the Healthcare Commission.

The commission rated efforts by health trusts in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland as either excellent or good in a new review.

The review looked at the quality and effectiveness of stop smoking services.

Between 26% and 32% of the population in Tyneside and Northumberland are regular smokers. The average for England is 27%, according to ministers.

'Excellent news'

This rating means that North of Tyne tobacco services are "beyond the reasonable expectations of patients and public" with Newcastle and North Tyneside acknowledged as "leaders in performance".

Chris Reed, acting chief executive of Newcastle Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Northumberland Care Trust, and Pam McDougall, chief executive of North Tyneside PCT, jointly welcomed the review findings.

A joint statement said: "This is excellent news for people who live and work in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland and shows they have access to good stop smoking services in places that are convenient.

"It also means that local alliances involving the NHS, local authorities, voluntary sector and local businesses, are successfully working together to reduce harm from tobacco."