There is a wealth of information available relating to health outcomes for Gateshead as a whole. The Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base (CHOKB) at http://www.nchod.nhs.uk lists indicators such as life expectancy, mortality rates and the incidence of cancer for all local authority and Primary Care Trust areas. It also lists these indicators at regional and national level, allowing comparison between Gateshead, the NE and England. Until the summer of 2005 the Compendium was only available within the NHS. The link above connects to the new version of the site available to all members of the public.

The amount of information in the CHOKB can seem daunting. However, the comparative data for Gateshead, the NE and England is summarised each year, along with additional information on demography and lifestyle behaviours, in the Compendium of Health Related Statistics, which is published alongside Gateshead PCT Director of Public Health's Annual Report. For a copy of the Compendium of Health Related Statistics contact Andy Billett, Public Health Analyst at andy.billett@ghpct.nhs.uk. There are some minor technical problems at the moment, but I am working to get the Compendium posted directly onto CEHI.