A NORTH-EAST hospital trust facing up to the prospect of future cash shortages has taken an unusual step.

It has decided to organise public meetings to try to find new ways of encouraging healthier living.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Darlington Memorial Hospital, the University Hospital of North Durham and Bishop Auckland Hospital, has set up a group called the Prevention First Steering Group.

It has organised the meetings in Darlington and Durham City in collaboration with the two Local Involvement Networks, or Links, groups in Darlington and County Durham.

The Links organisations were set up to give NHS service users more of a say in how their local NHS is run.

The aim of the meetings is to encourage members of the public to come up with new ideas of how to prevent illness in children, adults and older people.

It should also give local residents the opportunity to help shape the future direction of NHS activities in the local area.

The two free events will look for ideas on how to improve health and wellbeing, including new ways of tackling smoking rates, improving knowledge about food and nutrition, encouraging reduced alcohol consumption and increased physical activity.

While the Government has guaranteed to increase spending on the NHS each year the escalating demand for more health care is putting pressure on the Health Service as a whole.

For example, the NHS in the region recently announced it was investing in more weight loss surgery for very obese patients.

Alesha Aljeffri, County Durham LINk project manager, said: “The ultimate aim of this exercise is to ensure a healthier local population, reduce avoidable disease, and enable people to live happier, longer lives as free as possible from the burdens and constraints of ill-health.”

The first meeting is at The Dolphin Centre, Horsemarket, Darlington, on Thursday, October 6, from 5.30pm to 8.45pm.

To book a place for this meeting call 01325-380145 or email info@darlingtonlink.co.uk The second meeting is on Monday, October 10, from 1pm to 4.15pm at the Durham Centre, Belmont Industrial Estate, Durham City. To book a place call 01325 327431 or email host@pcp.uk.net Places must be booked before Friday, September 23.