A HEALTH trust has been praised for the way it organises its services.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust has achieved re-accreditation from the Health Quality Service Organisational Audit Standards.

The accreditation programme is widely recognised throughout the NHS as an effective means of improving the way health services are organised.

The programme assesses the capability of the trust by looking at the experiences of staff and patients, the effectiveness of the care provided and the efficiency of the trust's services.

The trust first achieved accreditation in 1996. It was valid for three years before the trust was reassessed. The HQS team spent a week visiting wards and departments to assess the way the trust works on a day to day basis, and finally awarded the trust its re-accreditation.

John Thomas, chief executive of the trust, said: "The achievement of HQS accreditation demonstrates the trust's commitment to providing a quality service for its patients. This would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of all staff in both clinical and non-clinical areas."