BATTLE lines have been drawn to tackle the high level of coronary heart disease among people living in a North-East city.

The Northern Primary Care Group (PCG) has set up a team to work with patients, who have heart disease, or who are at particular risk of the condition, in Sunderland north.

Extra money is being spent to ensure national guidelines are followed and standards met, which has allowed specialist staff to be appointed and provided more resources for prescribing of drugs to help prevent heart disease.

North PCG chairman Dr Roger Ford said: "The Primary Care Group has made coronary heart disease its first clinical priority, and is concentrating on preventing the disease in high-risk patients, as we believe this will produce the greatest health benefit for local people.

"We are well on our way to achieving our aim of meeting the national requirements, ahead of target, although there is much work still to be done."

Patients in the area are having life-saving heart surgery with extra resources made available by the primary care group to reduce waiting times.

Five people have undergone coronary artery bypass grafts at the Washington Hospital and others are being assessed.

The treatment has been carried out as part of the group's waiting list initiative.

£55,000 has been allocated for coronary artery bypass grafts, with a further £70,000 to be spent to cut waiting times for speech and language therapy, and psychology services.