NORTH YORKSHIRE residents are better educated, wealthier and therefore healthier than the populations of neighbouring counties, according to the annual report of North Yorkshire Health Authority.

But work is still needed to tackle inequalities between patients in the county over the next year.

The report also says that the major exceptions to North Yorkshire's favourable position, compared with the national average, are the number of fatal accidents and the numbers of suicides in the county.

"It is also the case that the overall good position can mask variations in health at a local level, for example between different areas, or different groups within a local population," says the report.

It says its Health Improvement Programme is designed to work together with other organisations in the county to improve people's health over the next three years.

The introduction of Primary Care Trusts, to replace Primary Care Groups, is also part of the plan to improve health. A trust was created for York and Selby this year, and three more are to be brought in next year, for Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale; Hambleton and Richmondshire; and Craven/Harrogate.

These will be responsible for services like community nursing and health visiting, physiotherapy, chiropody, dietetics, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, community dental health services, minor injury centres and palliative care.

Key achievements during 2000/1 are also listed area by area in the report.

In York, they include the opening of the Walk-In Centre in Monkgate, which has seen 17,000 consultations in its first year, and a review of community care in Easingwold.

In Selby, they include development of mental health services; development of the Flaxley Road Walking Bus and Breakfast Club to encourage healthy eating and accident awareness among school children; and development of a vision for the Selby War Memorial Hospital.

The two areas worked together on schemes to enable elderly and vulnerable people to be cared for within their own communities.

In Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale, they include the establishment of a rapid-access chest pain clinic, drawing up a multi-agency Sure Start bid, which would improve the lives of children and their families if successful, and improved care for people with diabetes.

In Hambleton and Richmond-shire, achievements include a review of orthopaedic services, the development of local chemotherapy services and improving urology services.

In Harrogate, an urgent referral system for potential cancer sufferers was brought in and a review of palliative care took place which led to improved access to palliative care training and the appointment of a palliative care expert for an out-of-hours nursing service.

Updated: 11:19 Wednesday, September 26, 2001