The health profession on Teesside has been criticised by the manager of a women's refuge who claims not enough is being done to help victims of domestic violence.

Eve Hudson, from Middlesbrough Women's Refuge, said the whole issue needed to be looked at more closely to tackle the problems faced by women living at refuges.

One of the main problems is accessing a GP during a stay because the women are not classed as permanent residents.

Speaking to BBC Radio Cleveland as part of the Hitting Home series, Ms Hudson said it was just one of many issues on Teesside that needed to be addressed.

It can take us three or four hours ringing every GP in the area to get them services. Eve Hudson, refuge manager

"Obviously children coming into the refuge and some of the mothers do have great health needs," she said.

"But because they are not permanent residents in the area it is very difficult to get a GP.

"It can take us three or four hours ringing every GP in the area to get them services.

"We have worked very hard in this refuge in the last year and we now have health visitors coming to the refuge and doing a surgery.

"It's those sort of strategies we'd like to start seeing developed.

"We would like the primary care trusts to start looking at domestic violence and writing it into their health improvement programmes."