Ahead of the NHS's 75th anniversary, North East health bosses announced a £35m investment targeted at improving the health of some of our region's most deprived areas.
The money will back the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB)'s long-term strategy to tackle issues which mean our area suffers "the worst levels of preventable mortality" in the country - in other words, that we die sooner than we should. The money will support a three-year programme which will seek to reduce the health issues caused by alcohol and smoking, provide new ways of caring for our mental health and support those waiting for surgery.
This will involve collaborative working between the NHS and local authorities, schools and voluntary and community sector groups - while "Deep End" GP practices will play a key role. Those are doctors' surgeries located in areas with the highest rates of deprivation, and consequently high levels of illness and ill-health associated with that.
