HOSPITAL managers from Blackburn have been praised for caring about their staff's health.

The Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, which runs Queen's Park Hospital and Blackburn Royal Infirmary, won the NHS category of the national Health Challenge Awards 2002 for its efforts in keeping its staff healthy.

Judges in the awards organised by the NHS in the North West were impressed with the wide range of initiatives designed at looking at health from all perspectives -- ranging from health and fitness and giving up smoking to career breaks.

Schemes organisers have put into place include offering complimentary therapies for staff; setting up a fitness centre on site; supporting staff in giving up smoking and having an award winning tobacco control policy; setting up an independent staff counselling service and on-site citizens advice bureau and offering advice on early retirement.

The projects are run jointly by the Centre for Health Promoting Hospitals and the trust's personnel department.

The award was presented to Margaret Eastham, health promoting hospital manager, and Marie Swinnerton, health promotion advisor, by Steve Smith, silver medal Olympic high jumper.

Elaine Baker, head of personnel, said: "We place a very high importance on the quality of working life for staff, believing that the way staff are treated and their own health and well-being are key to the quality of service and care that they provide to patients."

David Pilkington, chairman of Blackburn health branch of UNISON, said: "The health promoting hospitals initiative has proved to be a real success, with some real benefits which are aimed at improving the welfare of staff.

"The trade unions have always supported this approach and the employer is to be applauded for this latest achievement."

The trust was one of the first two in the country to be given Improving Working Lives accreditation last year and was awarded Beacon status for its Health at Work programme in 2000.