A HEALTH chief borrowed a baby and buggy for the day to highlight transport issues for NHS patients.

Chief executive of Easington Primary Care Trust, Dr Roger Bolas, took the bus trip after being challenged by residents over their difficulties travelling on public transport to hospital appointments.

The trust is working with Durham County Transport Planners and Easington District Council to make bus services to hospital fit people's needs better.

It has received money from the Urban Bus Challenge and Rural Bus Challenge to put on services to hospitals and has also built a transport solution into out-of-hours provision.

Dr Bolas's efforts have featured in a booklet called Stories that change your life: communities challenging health inequalities, which contains accounts of projects around the country, in which community groups have worked with their local NHS trust to foster good health among groups of people with higher than average rates of illness.

The booklet has been published by the NHS Modernisation Agency to promote examples of successful projects.