A CAMPAIGN to restore public faith in the NHS was launched by the Government yesterday as it pledged £330m for better services across the North-East and North Yorkshire over the next 12 months.

The news comes amid Labour unease that polls show the Conservatives more trusted on the NHS, despite the billions extra spent since 1997.

Gordon Brown, tipped to be the next prime minister, has already made the NHS a priority with plans to force GPs to open surgeries during evenings and at weekends.

Now Ms Hewitt has unveiled a package of services, including:

* A £1.2m investment in two extra critical care beds at South Tees Hospital NHS Trust, to reduce patient transfers and the cancellation of operations because of a lack of beds.

* A £387,000 expansion of a project to help people manage their obesity in County Durham and Darlington, with the programme to be led by health advisers, school nurses and physical activity officers.

* A clinical pharmacist post for County Durham and Darlington, to cut antibiotic-resistant infections on hospital wards through better prescribing of antibiotics.

* A service in Stockton to fit an extra 160 patients a year with a digital hearing aid within 18 weeks of going to their GP.

* A sexual health service on Teesside, offering advice, treatment and support in the local community instead of patients having to attend hospital.

* A 'one-stop' shop service to be offered by GPs in South Tees to patients suffering from irregular heartbeats, a move that would prevent them having to make trips to hospital.

Ms Hewitt said: "A lot of people like to knock the NHS and say that all the money has gone on deficits. It hasn't.

"The NHS is now back in balance and delivering improvements in health outcomes, the lowest waits on record, as well as providing a level of care that ten years ago was only offered to those who could afford it. The NHS is facing an historic opportunity and, this year, we are spending more than £8bn more on health services than last year."

Ms Hewitt faces a race against time to rebuild trust in the Government's handling of the NHS because inflation-busting funding increases will end after this financial year.

Although the health secretary said the NHS was now in balance, many trusts are still saddled with huge debts that must be paid off, including two in the region.

South Tees Hospitals trust, which runs James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, has a £21.4m "historic debt".

Similarly, North Tees trust, which runs district hospitals in Stockton and Hartlepool, still has a £12.8m debt on its books.