NATIONAL Health Service boss Sir Nigel Crisp was in east Durham yesterday to open a 24-hour walk-in healthcare centre.

The NHS chief executive was at the Urgent Care Centre of Peterlee Community Hospital. The centre, which is run by Easington Primary Care Trust (PCT), went into operation last October and has been offering a 24-hour walk-in service for patients with minor ailments and injuries since March.

It is staffed by 18 emergency care practitioners (ECP), who all come from nursing or paramedic backgrounds. Easington PCT was one of the first in the country to train and employ ECPs for this type of role.

Sir Nigel described the centre as a "real examplar for the way we need to go in the future''.

Also on an official visit in the county was deputy chief medical officer Dr Fiona Adshead, who travelled to Pelton Community Centre to observe an award winning project. She watched an exercise class, organised by the Durham and Chester-le-Street Lifestyle Initiative, which has helped more than 4,000 people become physically active.

Later, she met with staff involved in delivering the new Durham and Chester-le-Street GP out-of-hours service.