PIONEERING work in cardiac care is to be highlighted by health professionals at a conference in the North-East.

Keynote speakers from across England will discuss best practice being carried out in the health service to combat heart disease, which is one of the biggest killers in the UK.

The Coast to Coast Cardiac Network is staging the showcase event - Sharing Success, Look to the Future - at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, County Durham, on Wednesday.

The network was established in August 2002 to co-ordinate care for coronary heart disease (CHD) for patients across the Tees Valley, County Durham and North Cumbria.

It includes clinicians, commissioners, managers and patients and provides a number of forums for organisations and individuals involved in CHD care to plan, direct, support and advise. It covers 14 primary care trusts and five hospital trusts.

The aim is to examine the patient experience from diagnosis, through treatment, to the end of care.

Network director Peter Mercer said: "The conference will be a showcase of the good work being carried out by individuals and teams across County Durham, Darlington, North Cumbria and the Tees Valley.

"The aim will be to look at the whole spectrum of cardiac care including specific projects, service improvements, as well as considering future emerging trends and themes in the world of coronary heart disease."