A major shake-up for health services for Blackburn with Darwen - which will see key departments switch between providers - has been approved.

Under the proposals the £10.2m child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) contract for Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire will move from their current provider, East Lancashire Hospitals Trust to Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust (LSCFT).

And the £11.99m adult physical health services contract for Blackburn with Darwen will go from current provider LSCFT to East Lancashire Hospitals Trust.

This will involve staff transferring between the two organisations, subject to each trust's agreement, after proposals were ratified by the Lancs and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB).

ICB chiefs are particularly interested in working with East Lancs Child and Adolescent Services, currently rated as 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, to develop and inform other Lancashire-based services.

Tracy Hopkins, representing the voluntary sector, told an ICB board meeting there was a lot of support from those she was involved with for the moves.

But she added: "Would those accessing the CAMHS service do so in a different way?"

Claire Richardson, director of health and care integration for Blackburn with Darwen, said: "It is really important that our children and young people do not see any significant difference with regards to current service provisions.

"We have been really clear with all our partners that their caseload and lists will not change and the delivery of the service does not change.

"But it will give us the opportunity to integrate our services better.

"We should see a less fragmented pathway between children and young people and adult and more of a streamlined offer where we will not see people on two different waiting lists and there will be easier communication and an interface with more specialised services."

She told the board that the move would be fully explained to service users, particularly those using the CAMHS service.

"The aim is to improve service pathways and delivery, which will improve the experience, quality and outcomes for service users and their families."

The board was also told that there would be no changes to the location and delivery method for existing services once the changes are made.

Health leaders have also indicated that the experience gained by moving the two contracts could be used as a template for aligning other services across the county in future, particularly in West Lancs and Blackpool.