GWENT has some of the poorest health figures in Wales, with alarming failings in health provision for some of Wales' most deprived areas, a new report says.

Delivering A Better Wales, a report by the government spending watchdog the Audit Commission, shows national Welsh health statistics generally outperforming English results.

The report again highlights inequalities between regions in Wales, with Blaenau Gwent coming rock bottom with one in four adults developing coronary heart disease. The constituency has the highest rate of infant mortality in Wales and the highest rate of lung cancer and the highest incidence of diabetes.

The Assembly's policy of relying heavily on primary care, such as GPs, as first point of contact for patients in Wales could be facing crisis with a mass exodus of ageing doctors. In Blaenau Gwent 40 per cent of the GPs are over 55 years of age and many operate lone practices, so when they retire there is no junior partner to take over.

In the report - released on the day 15,000 council workers in Gwent went on strike over pay - some of the area's key council services come in for criticism. Torfaen, Caerphilly and Newport Council social service departments performance being described as "worrying". The report goes on: "The inspections (of social services) present a generally disappointing picture of picture of social care services in Wales, in some cases such as Torfaen poor results have proved to be a catalyst for change and services have improved since inspections."

Across Wales effort is needed to improve children's services, the report says. There is "little evidence" of carers' needs being separately recognised or addressed, and councils "struggle" to provide even basic information on their social service departments performance.

Performance figures for education were better; schools in Torfaen, Caerphilly, Newport, Monmouthshire falling within accepted targets for having vacant class places.

Again Blaenau Gwent had nearly double the acceptable number of unfilled places in secondary schools.

Gwent also has the second highest crime rates in Wales with over 100 crimes being committed per head of population ten crimes more than the average in England and twice that in Dyfed-Powys.

The report said there were high rates of violent crime in Gwent, 25 crimes per 1000 people, double that of England and second only to the South Wales region. The commission has recommended strong council leadership to address problems in service provision and that council, health and police agencies should work in closer partnership with one another where appropriate.