POLICE and health chiefs have joined forces for a scheme intended to give greater protection to vulnerable adults.

The safeguards have been drawn up for people in Darlington who potentially face physical and mental abuse.

Local authorities already have strict guidelines for the protection of children, but the threat to adults is thought to be on the increase in the town.

Darlington Primary Care Trust's clinical governance manager, Liz Graham, said: "It is not just people with learning disabilities, but also the housebound, who are looked after by relatives and carers.

"Sometimes the abuse is vindictive and malicious, other times it can be because the carers are at the end of their tethers, so this is just as much about supporting them.

"In the past they have been expected to cope on their own without any expertise. Now we are saying there are teams of people out there who can come in and help."

The Darlington Adult Protection Team operates 24 hours a day and comprises community nurses, social workers and community police officers. The pioneering move is part of a Government initiative known as No Secrets.

Universities are also being approached to ensure such issues are addressed in basic doctor and nurse training.

In the National Health Service, the Workforce Development Confederation, which commissions staff training, will ensure that the message is spread to all staff from the x-ray personnel to dieticians.

Greater care is also being taken before patients are discharged from hospital to ensure the home environment is safe to return to.

Mrs Graham said: "A lot of these people will be seen at some stage by the primary care team, whether that is a nurse, health visitor, doctor or dentist.

"A dentist might be the first to notice that someone has damage caused by force feeding, for instance."

She said that, just as child abuse and domestic violence was once hidden but was taken seriously, it was now the turn of adult abuse to be given greater consideration by health and social services