A HOSPITALS' boss denied there had been violence on a mental health ward, despite regulators refusing to give Burnley NHS trust a clean bill of health.

Health and Safety Executive inspectors pinpointed areas of concern, including violence in the mental health unit, particularly ward 11 at Rossendale General Hospital, according to the minutes of a meeting which received their critical report.

But at yesterday's Trust Board meeting, chairman Brian Foster said: "There has been no violence", explaining concern centred around environmental factors in wards which could lead to risks of assault on staff.

"It was about the potential for people to hide in corners and the need to avoid problems," he said.

Today the trust, which had earlier refused to release the Health and Safety report to the public, said a copy would be made available to the Press next week. The minuted record of the inspection says improvement notices are to be served in areas of concern.

The Executive noted a lack of strategic direction on health and safety within the trust including:

No standards against which to measure performance.

Some individuals unclear about their responsibilities.

The level of resources to maintain risk assessments.

Health and Safety should be part of every day management, not a bolt-on extra.

The minutes, which form the trust's own interpretation of the Executive report, say Burnley has been required to develop an action plan by June 1 for approval by the executive.

They state the Executive was generally encouraged about recent progress but noted that much work was required to build on the good start.

Excellent areas, according to the trust, included ionising radiation protection, general standards at Pendle Community Hospital and in the estates department.

Copies of the full report have been sent to all department heads for response.

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