A HOSPITAL'S nursery department has been honoured by health bosses for its work in promoting health among staff, parents and children.

The Children's Day Nursery, based at Queens Park Hospital, Blackburn, was presented with the Gold Award Certificate by Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust chairman Ian Woolley yesterday in the hospital's Wainwright Room.

The department is only the second area within the Trust to land the Gold Award. The physiotherapy department at Blackburn Infirmary scooped the first honour in January this year and now becomes eligible to apply to a health promotion fund to help with financing the development of new health promotion initiatives. The physio department is waiting to see if a bid for a TV and video for the waiting room is successful on the back of its win.

The award scheme was set up by trust chief executive John Thomas in August 1999 as part of the Healthy Wards and Departments Programme.

Margaret Eastham, manager of the Health Promoting Hospitals department within the Trust, said: "This award a true reflection of the hard work and dedication of the whole team within the Children's Day Nursery at Queen's Park Hospital.

Its staff have demonstrated a wonderful team spirit necessary in meeting the rigorous standards required for the Gold Award.

"The nursery is a centre of excellence for health promotion activities."

The nursery signed up to the initiative last September and landed the Bronze Award the following month.

This June it was given the Silver Award before getting the prestigious Gold Award in July.