A 'TRAILBLAZING' safety project has saved the NHS £1.9million after prevented hundreds of children being hurt in accidents.

And the Action on Children's Accidents Project (ACAP)'s success was the main reason why it won the "Working Together" category at the national Public Servant awards in London.

The scheme, backed by East Lancashire PCT, achieved a reduction of 21 per cent, or 660 fewer accidents, in under-fives in 2003/4, compared to 2000/01, just before the group was set up.

And that success has been mirrored in the years since.

The project originally covered only Pendle, but was so successful that it has been rolled out across Burnley, Rossendale, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.

Every child's accident costs an average of £5,000 in staff time, resources, treatment and after-care, while serious incidents such as severe bath scalds can cost the NHS up to a quarter of a million pounds.

East Lancashire Primary Care Trusts figures show that ACAP, which works in the deprived areas covered by the government's Sure Start initiative for children, is responsible for most of the reductions, saving the service £1.9million.

Project workers make hundreds of home visits to advise parents on dangers to their children, as well as working with the fire service, police, council and other agencies to give free and discounted fire alarms and child seats.

Last year, the project expanded to take on elderly people as well, and has trained members of the public to help reduce the number of falls among vulnerable pensioners.

Judges in the Public Servant awards, which celebrate "unsung heroes" working with public service teams, said the project had a "trailblazing approach", and was an example to health services all over the country.

Julie Carman, who founded the Colne-based scheme and now manages it, said: "We are very proud of our award but it's not something we do on our own - I consider the parents, children and community our partners as well.

"We always try to work with people rather than doing things to them or for them. None of it is rocket science and it's certainly not about wrapping kids in cotton wool, but there are lots of things people can do that they don't necessarily think about.

"We have saved the NHS money, but the real success is the avoidance of the heartache, stress and misery of children's accidents."