LOCAL health bodies are organising a series of events to celebrate NHS Week this week.

At County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust, which looks after people with mental health problems and learning disabilities, the week will begin with the signing of a contract allowing those with learning disabilities to live independently in the community.

The trust is working with the housing provider Newcastle and Whitley and the charity Turning Point to facilitate this.

Managers from the trust will celebrate the achievements of a team of younger senior managers in a national competition.

At the University Hospital of North Durham, a research open day is taking place tomorrow for all interested healthcare professionals to learn more about the types of research taking place at the hospital.

Chief executive Steve Mason will give his thoughts on how the trust has coped with enormous changes over the past year and its future direction in a report being released to staff.

Yesterday, six Spanish GPs worked at Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, where 600 primary school youngsters learnt how to be rural rangers.

Specialist health promotion staff from Derwentside Primary Care Trust will give advice on sun awareness and skin cancer at the Lanchester Show, on Saturday and Sunday.