MOVES to make healthy choices easier should be among the priorities for the health service in Derwentside next year, according to a report.

In her annual report on the state of the district's health, Dr Anne Low, director of public health for Derwentside Primary Care Trust, outlined the progress made in reducing inequalities in health between the district and the rest of the UK and inequalities between parts of the district.

The issue of inequalities, and the lifestyle choices that help create them, was a central theme of the report.

She said: "Our health improvement objective for Derwentside is not only to improve the health of the population over time, but also to narrow and eliminate the health gaps between Derwentside and England, and within Derwentside.

"This is a challenging objective, but over the last few years we have worked with community groups and the member organisations of the Derwentside Partnership in a wide programme of action that should contribute to achieving our aim."

Among the initiatives highlighted were the Smoke Free Derwentside project, which aims to discourage smoking in public places and protect people from secondhand smoke, the Healthier Future programme, which encourages children to eat fruit and vegetables and take regular exercise.

Dr Low said: "We need to continue to make progress in addressing the factors that are known to be the major causes of the differences in health between different population groups.

"The main cause of health inequalities in Derwentside are the wider determinants of health, such as low incomes and low levels of education and unhealthy lifestyles.

"If we are to narrow the health gaps, we need to improve people's circumstances and to support them in making healthy lifestyle choices."