MORE than eight out of ten people who attended a regional event about the future of the NHS said they were satisfied with health services in the North-East.

The 84 per cent vote gave the North-East the highest rating in England.

Electronic polls and group discussions at the event, held at Newcastle Racecourse, also suggest that the vast majority of people support the continuation of a tax-funded NHS, free at the point of need.

However, participants said that there was room for improvement in certain areas, including access to GP appointments and access to the most effective treatments or drugs.

Thirty per cent of those polled said that access to GPs needs "a lot of improvement", with many saying that evening and weekend opening hours should be a priority.

In addition, 62 per cent of people said that information about the range of health services available needs "a fair amount or a lot of improvement".

Overall, the two most important issues for people attending the event were appropriate access to the most effective treatment or drugs and clean facilities.

About 120 people, including NHS staff and patients, attended the event, which was one of nine regional meetings held to gather the views of local people.

The information gathered will be fed into a national review looking at a longer-term vision for the health service.

Ian Dalton, chief executive of NHS North-East, said: "The NHS cannot stand still. We need to deal with new challenges: an ageing population; new drugs and medical technology; an increase in public health problems such as obesity; and rising public expectations."

Eighty-one per cent of members of the public who attended a similar event in York, covering the Yorkshire and Humber region, said they were satisfied with health services in their area.