A CROSS-SECTION of North-East people are the first in the country to have their say about future health services.

One hundred people drawn from a radius of 30 miles of Tyneside took part in what was described as a "public engagement event," yesterday.

Held in Gateshead Leisure Centre and attended by Care Services Minister Liam Byrne, the gathering was part of a major consultation organised by the Department of Health.

The Gateshead meeting, described as a giant focus group, is the first of four similar events. Others will take place in Leicester, London and Plymouth over the next month.

Held under the banner of Your Health, Your Care, Your Say, the idea is to give ordinary citizens the chance to tell the Government what they want from health and community services in the future.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "This is the first exercise of its kind in the country and thousands of people and hundreds of organisations around the country will take part."

Most of the discussions are around the issue of how the state can help individuals and their families to stay healthy and how to gain access to the right services when they are needed.

Other questions debated at the meeting include ways of helping older people remain independent and how do tackle the root causes of poor health.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: "This exercise is a chance for us to see democracy in action and really listen to what people want and what they don't want."