EAST Lancashire hospitals could become magnets for people looking for a career in heath care after the area was among only eight to be awarded teaching trust status by the government.

Members of the Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust (PCT) applied to become a teaching trust on behalf of all PCTs in the area and those in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale and Hyndburn and Ribble Valley are due to come into operation on April 1.

The success means the PCT is the only one in the North West to receive the prestigious status.

As teaching trusts, PCTs should be able to attract high calibre staff as there will be more career development linked to teaching roles and there will also be links with universities across the North West.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn gave eight areas the go-ahead nationally. Three others were chosen as pilot teaching trusts last year.

Blackburn with Darwen trust chief executive committee chairman and local GP Alastair Murdoch said the news was very exciting for the whole area.

"We are delighted that our application has been approved because as a teaching trust we will be in a stronger position to improve health care services for the people of East Lancashire," he said.

"We will be able to do this because, as a teaching trust, we will be able to recruit additional high quality staff attracted by new posts offering wider career development opportunities linked to part time clinical roles and part time teaching roles.

"Joint posts with universities across the North West will offer more training in best practice and evidence based practice, more emphasis on research and more public health and health promotion training.

"These extra posts will make East Lancashire an attractive place to come and work, where there will be exciting opportunities to extend good practice to meet the health needs of local people and where universities send their students -- doctors, nurses and therapists -- for training."

Chief executive Vivien Aspey, said: "Our bid for teaching trust status is part of £25 million scheme by the Prime Minister last year to set up teaching primary care trusts in disadvantaged and under privileged areas.

"We are looking forward to the opportunities we will have as a teaching trust to make real improvements to the primary health care services we provide.

"For example, we will be able to invest more in advanced professional training so that staff develop specialist expertise that will enable them to manage a wider range of illness."

Blackburn with Darwen PCT will host the trust, working closely with the other PCTs.

The area was chosen as a teaching trust due to the numbers of people with conditions such as coronary heart disease.