A new report has highlighted the differences in NHS service and outcomes for patients across our region.

It shows East Anglia performs well in areas such as diagnosing cancer early and treating stroke patients quickly, but there are disparities in diabetes treatment, obesity, and child mental health.

Jonathan Cox, consultant at Public Health at Norfolk County Council, said: 'This report helps us to identify differences and areas where we are performing well and areas where we need to improve our performance. This can then lead to further action if improvements are identified, working across our healthcare systems.'

The report, 'NHS Atlas for Variation', has been compiled by NHS England and Public Health England – and lists performance figures and population statistics for each area in the country.

It found more than half of cancer patients in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire are diagnosed with the illness at 'stages one and two' which is among the best performance in the country.

In stages one and two the cancer has not yet started to spread into surrounding body tissue – meaning patients have more chance of survival. And more than 70pc of patients in the region, excluding Cambridge-shire, are admitted onto a stroke unit within four hours of arriving at hospital.

By comparison only around 30pc of stroke patients in South Gloucestershire and Bristol are admitted within the same timeframe.

But the figures also reveal differences within Norfolk of how diabetes patients are treated.

They show more diabetics in South Norfolk, North Norfolk, and Norwich (around 64pc in total) receive care as recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) compared to patients in West Norfolk and Great Yarmouth and Waveney (around 53pc in total).

NICE guidelines encourage patients be through certain 'care processes' once a year.

Have you got a health story? Email nicholas.carding@archant.co.uk