NHS staff on Teesside are taking part in a major review of how well services are being modernised.

The NHS plan, published by the Government, sets many targets for improving services to patients, improving the health of the population and finding new ways of doing so.

Tees Health Authority is organising a local modernisation review, the results of which will go to the new modernisation board, which was set up to advise and support the development of the NHS on Teesside.

A third of its members come from the public, a third from front-line NHS staff and a third from NHS managers. Groups in local hospitals, community health services and GP services are checking what progress has been made and how much has still to be done. The groups include managers, nurses and doctors.

Carole Langrick, of Tees Health Authority said: "We wanted to involve as many staff as we could and so we are using existing groups and asking them to assess how well we are modernising the health service on Teesside."

When this part of the review is over, staff and the public will be invited to help plan what more needs to be done.