PATIENTS are enjoying the benefits of the ancient martial art of Tai Chi through an unusual collaboration involving a GP surgery and a college.

The sessions have been introduced to try to help patients with chronic illnesses, such as arthritis, asthma and high blood pressure.

There is some evidence that practising Tai Chi - which is a slow and gentle form of exercise - can help some people control their symptoms.

Stephen Ward, a lecturer in health studies at the City of Sunderland College and a former nurse, is taking the regular classes.

He said of Tai Chi: "It is both a healing art as well as a martial art and it is this aspect that we are concentrating on.

"Through creating Tai Chi energy through gentle circling movement and controlled breathing we can combat stiffness and a number of other ills."

Since they started Tai Chi classes, a number of patients say they believe it has improved their health and helped with symptom control.

Dr Pam Wortley, a GP at the Church View Medical Centre in Silksworth, near Sunderland, said: "It's fantastic to see the positive effects Tai Chi is having on the group. It offers a refreshing new approach to the management of chronic illness, which is an area we are keen to address further."

The Tai Chi sessions complement a number of other initiatives designed to improve services for patients, including the taking on of more nurse practitioners and ways of helping people to give up smoking.