HEALTH chiefs in Blackburn have revealed some of the successes which helped them to achieve three star status for their trust.

The Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, which runs Queens Park Hospital and Blackburn Royal Infirmary, achieved top marks in almost all 20 categories set by the Department of Health for their three star award.

Improvements which helped them make the grade include the opening of a rapid access chest pain clinic, which meant patients were seen within a fortnight.

A total of 243 patients have already benefited since November last year.

Numbers of patients waiting for more than 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment were cut by 50 per cent this year, from 600 patients in January to 300.

Three extra beds were also opened for seriously ill patients.

An extra intensive care bed was opened in October last year, bringing the number to six and two more are due to be opened by the end of this year.

The trust also opened a new chemotherapy unit at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, which has helped more than 200 people since last October.

Before it opened its doors, patients had been forced to travel to The Christie Hospital, in Manchester, for their treatment.

An eight-bed surgical dependency unit for critically ill patients was set up in October 2000 and two more beds for the seriously ill were opened the same month, while the trust also introduced booked admissions so patients could choose when they want to visit, cutting down on cancelled appointments.

After working on stepping up communication between management and staff, the trust was one of only two trusts, nationally, to achieve the NHS Improving Working Lives standard this year, 18 months ahead of target.

A new multidisciplinary foot and ankle service was set up, where patients saw specialist physiotherapists and chiropodists, freeing up consultants' time to see more urgent patients.

Staff sickness rates were also brought down from seven per cent to four per cent after regular meetings between staff and bosses were set up.

The trust also joined the regional pilot ear, nose and throat scheme across East Lancashire, Action on ENT, which aims to make improvements to the service through listening to patients' views.