A RECORD-breaking Burnley health service picked up another 'premier' award today - and special congratulations from Prime Minister John Major.

The Health trust's Learning Disability unit was celebrating success at the double as it won the Government's prestigious Charter Mark award for excellence for the second time.

Trust chief executive David Chew and disability service boss David Whalley, were in London to collect the award at a special ceremony in the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, Westminster.

Both the Premier and his deputy, Michael Heseltine, were lined up to present the awards.

The Learning Disability Service, with its skilled 250-strong workforce, handed out a lesson in excellence three years ago when it became the first health unit in the North West to receive the award. This year it had to renew its achievement - proving it was better than ever, in order to keep the award. The unit, which won acclaim by re-settling 125 people from stark institutions into high quality community care, came through with flying colours once more.

The Prime Minister's own independent team of assessors gave it top marks for a second occasion. Said a delighted Mr Chew today: "This award comes as a great honour and I am extremely proud of the achievements of managers and staff.

"To have won the Charter Mark once was a tremendous achievement. To maintain and improve that high standard of support and care to people with learning disabilities and their families and to win a second time is testimony to the high quality provided by the by the service."

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