A QUESTIONNAIRE has been distributed to patients in Sedgefield borough asking how they think their health services can be improved.

Health officials have promised they will take on board the comments and act on the replies. The questionnaire has been distributed to 800 patients in the borough, randomly selected from a list of people registered with GP practices.

The initiative, which is being repeated across the country, is part of a Government drive to gain feedback from patients on the delivery of services and make their views a priority.

Sedgefield Primary Care Trust is hoping that at least 600 survey forms will be returned by the end of the month to give as broad a picture as possible.

Heather Inglis, public involvement manager for the Sedgefield trust, said: "This won't be just another exercise in getting people's views.

"The Commission for Health Improvement needs to see evidence of the issues that come back from patients and they will follow that up. They won't just be content with the fact that we have done the survey."