HEALTH and social services will be made available under the same roof after a shake-up across the Durham Dales area.

Four teams covering Bishop Auckland, Willington and Crook, Weardale and Teesdale, will be made up of health professionals and workers from other fields.

Community nurses, health visitors, school nurses, practice nurses and community hospital staff will be working with representatives from social services, housing, education and the SureStart family agency.

Jan Dixon, the trust's nurse facilitator, said: "We are currently in the process of developing the service, but when fully operational the teams aim to provide easier access to modern, seamless health and social care services with one, single point for patients to access the services.

"The teams will be focusing their attention on the health needs of their local community and will be working closely with other primary care organisations."

Christina Haworth, director of nursing and patient services, said the move would extend the range of services offered to patients.

She appealed to people wanting a greater say in how the services are run to represent their community on locality teams.

Contact the Patient Advisory and Liaison Service on (01388) 458835, extension 136, for more information.

The nurses are using International Nurses' Day tomorrow, to raise awareness of modernisation of their roles.