HOSPITALS in the region will claim their share of a major cash injection to buy new equipment.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn will announce today an allocation of £105m nationally for hospitals offering emergency treatment.

The North's share of the extra cash will be £8.5m, to be spent this year, and there will be further allocations in future years.

The money will be given directly to trusts, rather than through the health authorities, as part of the Government's policy of passing on resources to the NHS frontline.

It means decisions on how the cash will be spent will be made by doctors and nurses, rather than bureaucrats.

Among the region's beneficiaries are Newcastle, North Tees and Hartlepool, Gateshead, North Durham, South Durham and South Tyneside, Northumbria, North Cumbria, Sunderland and South Tees NHS hospital trusts.

The £675,000 awarded to York Health Services NHS Trust comes on top of £16m announced last week for building work.

City of York MP Hugh Bayley said: "York and North Yorkshire have come up trumps in the latest NHS funding rounds.

"Patients and staff need equipment and better premises, and each year the Government puts in more money to improve facilities."

l Health services in the North-East will also benefit from a £35m package to upgrade NHS dentistry.

The region is claiming a £5.35m share of the allocation, which will enable dentists to refurbish surgeries, buy equipment or install modern information technology to help with booking appointments.