HEALTH bosses have announced how they will spend £5m to improve services.

Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust (PCT) received the extra cash from the Government in its budget for 2003-4.

Trust leaders have spent the past months working out the best way to spend the windfall.

The PCT, which was recently given a three-star rating by the Commission for Health Improvement, will use the cash to fund more operations, improve services and pay for more life-saving drugs on prescription.

More than £3m will go on reducing hospital waiting times, improving patient access to GPs, and providing services from the new Chester-le-Street Community Hospital, which is due to open later this year.

Andrew Young, PCT chief executive, said: "We have had a difficult task, given the competing priorities for investment in primary, community and hospital care, prevention and specialised services.

"But the investments and objectives set out in our business plan will help us to continue to make significant improvements in health and health services locally."

An extra £75,000 will go to the Medicines Management Programme, while services for people with mental health problems or learning disabilities get a £319,000 boost.

A further £423,000 will go on saving people with heart disease, through funding more bypass operations.

A new consultant in palliative care will be paid for with part of a £571,000 programme to expand cancer services.

The fight against smoking-related diseases gets a £159,000 boost, to extend smoking cessation clinics.

A full copy of the business plan is available free from the trust's headquarters, which can be contacted on 0191-301 1300.