SICKNESS rates among staff at Calderstones mental health unit have been cut dramatically -- a year after unions warned the problem was putting their members at risk.

A year ago, employees at the Whalley hospital were taking an average of 16 days sick leave, but in the second quarter of 2001, the average was just over three days.

Rates had risen so drastically that management brought in a health promotion scheme and staff counselling service.

They also introduced a voucher scheme to reward staff who have 100 per cent attendance with shopping vouchers.

A total of 734 staff will receive the vouchers for the period between April and September this year.

Now the trust has now won second place in the Health at Work in the NHS, a project funded by the Department of Health, which aims to promote the well-being of staff working in the NHS.

They will be presented with their £500 prize at a national Health at Work conference in Leeds in December.

The news follows union representatives' concern that stress was causing high sickness rates and staffing levels were so low that they were worried members were at greater risk of assaults by patients.

Trust deputy chief executive Graham Jowett said: "Our sickness rates have improved dramatically.

"We reviewed our sickness absence policies 18 months ago and now we are close to 100 per cent. It has been an extremely good initiative." Pete Hawkins, UNISON branch secretary at Calderstones, said: "All good news for the trust that affects the staff as a whole is good news for the union." If you work in a stressful job, you are going to get more stress-related sickness."

Nigel Robinson, chief officer for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Community Health Council, said: "It is pleasing to see that the levels are down. That has benefits to the residents there and for the staff as well. "