A HISTORY of hospitals in Burnley and Pendle has been put on CD ROM and is available for use by schools or other interested groups.

Amateur author John Banks' efforts to get his book published fell through.

Mr Banks, 82, of Lower Mead Drive, Burnley, hoped to see his work printed last year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the NHS.

Despite efforts by Burnley Health Care NHS Trust, lack of funds meant his dream did not become reality.

But now it is on CD and available in Burnley Hospital, at the libraries and at Lancaster University.

Mr Banks said: "I also have two copies at home available for schools in the area to borrow either for individual students or classes.''

Mr Banks, publicity officer with the Burnley Hospital Group, which took in Burnley, Nelson and Colne, from 1966 to 1976, said he had been told it would cost around £2,500 to print between 1,000 and 1,500 copies of his book. A bound version is available at Burnley reference library.

Mr Banks, who worked in the health service for more than 25 years, gathered information while he was working and then spent a year putting together the words and photographs when he retired in 1976.

The book looks at the history of health care in the area from the workhouse hospitals of the 1850s right up to facilities in the 1970s and takes in Burnley General, Marsden, Reedyford and Hartley hospitals as well as the various maternity homes that no longer exist.

"I spent hundreds of hours talking to students in local schools about the hospitals and health care and I built up my knowledge over the years," explained Mr Banks.

"When I retired I wanted to tell the story of the history of the hospitals.

"There was information available but it was spread around all the local libraries. I put it all together but I couldn't get it published."

Mr Banks can be contacted on 01282 457959.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.