A TOP level inquiry into allegations of racism at a health trust is set to be published in a month.

Health chiefs at Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Healthcare NHS Trust today strongly denied claims brought against them by the local Racial Equality Council (REC) on behalf of two Asian doctors.

The inquiry into the allegations, which is being carried out by another authority, is expected to end next month.

One of the doctors has already taken the trust to an industrial tribunal claiming racial discrimination and lost.

The second started proceedings on the grounds of racial discrimination, harassment and victimisation and later dropped them.

Acting chief executive of the trust, John Dell, said its record on racial equality was excellent and he awaited publication of the report.

He said: "We strenuously deny the allegations levelled against us and we are totally committed to racial equality.

"The first employment tribunal found in our favour."

He said about two years ago, the trust commissioned a report to see how it was performing on racial equality and the findings were published by Lord Ousley.

He said the findings were 'generally very good' and an action plan to tackle weaknesses was almost complete.

Mr Dell said the trust had an ethnic minorities patients' panel and staff group which gave opportunity to raise and discuss any race issues freely.

A recent report by the independent Commission for Health Improvement, which inspects health trusts, praised it for including ethnic minorities in an apprenticeship scheme at the hospitals.

Both doctors are still employed by the trust.

The inquiry is being carried out by the strategic health authority which covers the whole of Lancashire.

Nobody at the REC was unavailable for comment.