HEALTH workers in north Durham have won a national award for helping colleagues around the country.

The team, from Derwentside Primary Care Trust, has received a Guidelines in Practice award - and £3,000 in prize money - for its work on hypertension.

The team's findings were published in Guidelines in Practice, a monthly journal that supports the local development and application of clinical guidelines.

The team was made up of Sarah Tulip, practice pharmacist, Dr JA Anderson, a GP, and Sister Lynne Bryan, a practice nurse, all based at Burnhope surgery.

They devised a "care pathway" for patients with hypertension, that has already been implemented at three other practices.

"We are both very delighted and proud to receive this award," said Ms Tulip. "The funding will be of great value in helping us to improve the management of hypertension by better use of guidelines across the PCT."

The judges said: "The guidelines have now been published as a comprehensive booklet which would be a valuable aid to any clinician involved in the management of patients with hypertension."

Ms Tulip and Sister Bryan travelled to London to accept the award from David Fisher of Sanofi Aventis.