THREE community hospitals in east Cleveland are at the centre of plans to develop primary health care in the area.

Stead Memorial Hospital at Redcar, Guisborough General, and East Cleveland Hospital, at Brotton, will become the focus of a new primary care trust being proposed for the people of east Cleveland.

The current Langbaurgh Primary Care Group wants to become a primary care trust, which would integrate primary and community healthcare services, including the hospitals, and would give doctors, nurses and the public more say in decisions about health care.

It says the new trust will allow the NHS to develop existing services, create new ones and strengthen working relationships between the health service and other agencies, including social services to create a more united, cohesive way of servicing patients needs and improving health standards across the area.

The trust would be run by an executive making the day- today decisions, consisting of professional health members including doctors and nurses, a chief executive, director of finance and a representative from social services.

There would also be a board made up of members of the public, health professionals, the chief executive and the director of finance.

Neighbouring group Middlesbrough and Eston also has similar plans to become a trust.

Following a meeting in Redcar last month, and one in Guisborough on Monday, another public meeting takes place at the Skelton Civic Centre, in Coniston Road, on Wednesday, September 5.

The results of the consultation will then be sent to the Secretary of State for Health Alan Milburn for his decision.

Anyone wanting further information, or to express an opinion, can write to Tony Waites, chairman of the Tees Health Authority, Poole House, Stokesley Road, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, TS7 ONJ