PEOPLE who often end up in hospital are to be helped by a health initiative to keep patients in their own homes.

Darlington has one of the worst records in the country for people having to go into hospital unexpectedly.

Many of the admissions involve patients living with chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, asthma, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which could be managed in the community.

People attending casualty has increased 16 per cent in the past ten years and emergency admissions to hospital have risen 20 per cent.

Darlington's director of primary care Carole Harder said the town was among the bottom five in the country for non-elective admissions.

She said: "This has an impact on capacity and a knock on effect on waiting times.

"It is a big issue for us. It is much better that people stay in their own homes and are supported in the community."

Ms Harder said a six-week programme had been put together, which would help a core group of people who were regularly admitted to hospital.

The 112 people involved used 1,900 bed days at a cost of £280,000 a year.

She said: "A small group of people use the most resources so we will be focusing on those we consider to be the most vulnerable. People are at their happiest at home so we are trying to keep them there for as long as possible."

By supporting them at home and helping them cope with their conditions, hospital chiefs hope patients should be able to avoid having to be admitted to hospital.

There are also plans to appoint community matrons to manage cases of chronic ill health among Darlington's 102,000 population.

Darlington Primary Care Trust's (PCT) walk-in health centre, scheduled to open in January, is also expected to lift the burden on accident and emergency and reduce hospital admissions.

PCT chairman Sandra Pollard said: "It is absolutely essential to have a plan and a lot of work has gone into it.

"This is a top priority and if we throw everything at it we can make a huge difference."