PATIENT areas at a Teesside hospital are to be improved thanks to a £2,000 windfall.

A competition was run by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust at the University Hospital of North Tees to find the best maintained ward or department.

The day case unit and ward 31 both won £1,000 each, which was funded by the patients' environment action fund. The money will be spent on improving patient areas and is part of the Government's drive for cleaner hospitals.

Liz Pilkington, senior sister at the day surgery said: "I thought the competition was an excellent idea and we all got into the swing of it. We ensure that our department is clean and pleasant all the time and it's really great for this to be recognised."