GPs and community health workers also scored badly in league tables issued by the Government today.

The East Lancashire area came 95th in a league table of 99 authorities for failing to manage long-standing problems such as asthma, epilepsy and diabetes.

Figures showed local people were 50 per cent more likely to end up needing hospital treatment.

Local people are also more likely to need hospital treatment for ear, nose and throat infections and for heart failure.

The Government believes this shows the diseases are being allowed to get out of control instead of being managed before patients need to be hospitalised.

GPs in East Lancashire are also much more likely to prescribe sleeping tablets -- they came 96th out of 99 regions. Experts believe this shows doctors are failing to tackle the root of patients' problems.

East Lancashire Health Authority spokesman Dr Stephen Morton said the figures may show GPs are overloaded with work -- the area has ten per cent fewer GPs than the national average and ill-health is much more common.

Dr Morton said there was a lot of room for improvement and the authority would be working with primary care groups to tackle the problems.

He added: "Our GPs are, by and large, hardworking but under pressure.

"It's more to do with the volume and degree of ill health than to do with doctors' lack of knowledge or willingness.

"Tackling public health in East Lancashire is a challenge."

But in spite of the statistics, East Lancashire people seem to be happier with their GPs than most of Britain.

They are less likely to want to complain about their GPs and the area came 17th out of 99 areas for patients' satisfaction.