A mobile assessment centre is taking to the road as part of a pioneering project to enable elderly patients in the North-East to have check-ups closer to home.

The new facility will accommodate patients recovering from broken hips when it visits venues throughout Stockton, Hartlepool and parts of east Durham and Sedgefield.

It is being introduced by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust following a £100,000 investment from the national Action on Orthopaedics programme.

The purposely designed vehicle includes a consulting room and private consultation room. It also features a wheelchair lift and has an on-board generator.

The first clinic will take place today in the car park of the community centre, Seventh Street, Horden.

As the service develops, the clinic will move to different venues and eventually become a regular feature within local communities.

Tim Renshaw, nurse consultant for rehabilitation, will be manning the mobile clinic.

He said: "Patients experiencing hip fractures are generally elderly and frail and it is critical that their progress is monitored for up to a year after surgery.

"The new mobile clinic is all about giving patients greater choice and many will no longer need to face what can be an arduous journey to hospital.

"Patients can have their check-up at a venue that is much more convenient for them as well as receiving the same high-quality service they would receive in an outpatients environment."

About 350 patients are treated for hip fractures at the University Hospitals of North Tees and Hartlepool.

Most are the result of falls and usually require an operation and reviews of their progress.