HEALTH chiefs have been told to introduce better staff training and recruitment procedures in a bid to improve the treatment of mentally ill patients in the region.

A report into Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust's Adult Mental Health Service was due to be discussed at a trust board meeting today.

The report has been drawn up by the Health Advisory Service 2000, an independent body which advises local health services and government ministers about how services for mentally ill and elderly patients can be improved.

Health chiefs decided to examine services following several incidents in 1997 and a double tragedy when a mentally ill patient, who was being treated at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn, strangled his wife.

Michael Horner, 52, throttled his 54-year-old wife Hazel with a coat belt and then hanged himself a day after he was sent home from a psychiatric ward at the hospital in March 1996.

An independent inquiry into the tragedy said hospital staff "probably contributed" to the death of Mrs Horner by failing to inform her that her husband was being discharged after three weeks on the ward, although no disciplinary action was taken against trust staff following the incident.

Now the HAS 2000 report has again raised concern about a lack of training and difficulty in recruiting staff.

It states: "There seemed to be a lack of staff with specific training in a range of interventions.

"There were some significant recruitment problems. The team felt that joint appointments with a local university might be worth considering."

Bosses have also been told to help staff "get to grips" with treating patients who have been diagnosed with a drug or alcohol problem as well as being mentally ill. Hospital bosses have been told to conduct a "fundamental review" of day care services, as well as creating single sex wards to increase patients' safety.

The report says: "the current arrangements for female in-patients at Queen's Park Hospital are not acceptable, especially on F3 and F4.

"These will be addressed in the new building, but the team felt that something should be done in the meantime."

The newly-formed local primary care groups have also been advised to improve management of cases with some staff feeling unable to manage demand while trying to target patients with severe mental problems.

The report also praises health and social care staff for their friendliness, commitment and hard work.

Trust chief executive John Thomas said: "The trust commissioned this review to obtain an independent assessment of the service we provide. The report is very constructive and provides a basis for jointly agreeing the actions needed to build on existing achievements.

"I am particularly pleased that the report commends both health and social care staff for their friendliness, commitment and hard work."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.