NEW North-East patient and public forums have named smoking as their main health concern.
The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health held the first of two regional launches at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium yesterday.
The commission is the Government group set up to ensure local people are involved in decision-making about health services in their community.
Members of the new Patient and Public Involvement Forums, who attended the event, were asked what their priorities were in terms of health and care issues.
Unsurprisingly, with parts of the region having 76 per cent higher rates of lung cancer than the national average, tackling smoking topped their list of concerns.
The second highest concern was the issue of communication, including that between doctors and patients.
GP waiting times and access to hospital appointments was third.
In the County Durham and Tees Valley area, areas of concern included obesity, teenage pregnancy and access to dentists.
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