A PIONEERING North-East project which prescribes acupuncture and aromatherapy to patients got the royal seal of approval last night.

Dawn Solomon, project manager for a scheme which gives patients living in the deprived West End of Newcastle access to a range of complementary therapies, met Prince Charles at a ceremony at St James' Palace.

The Newcastle Primary Care Trust scheme was selected as one of five participants in a new initiative backed by the Prince of Wales's Foundation for Integrated Health. That aims at increasing access to complementary and integrated healthcare in the NHS.

Last night, Prince Charles welcomed NHS staff and representatives from the complementary medicine world.

They heard how an integrated approach to healthcare was being piloted on Tyneside.

Dr Debbie Freake, medical director of the Newcastle Primary Care Trust and a GP in inner-city Benwell, said it was the second time Dawn Solomon had been presented to the Prince of Wales in connection with the pioneering Tyneside project.

Launched in January last year, the scheme allows GPs in the West End of the city to prescribe free complementary therapy to patients.

"Patients living in low-income areas didn't have access to complementary therapies and it was something they very much wanted," said Dr Freake.

Approved therapies include homeopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy, aromatherapy, massage and shiatsu (Japanese massage).