HOSPITAL staff can now report their colleagues for wrongdoing under a new "whistle blowing" policy introduced by Airedale NHS Trust.

Staff are being promised full support under guidelines being brought in as a result of new NHS rules.

Clinical governance is a new concept introduced last year to encourage hospitals to look at ways of improving their services.

It was brought in following so called health scandals such as the Bristol Hospitals case and the Dr Harold Shipman murders.

As part of regular checks on hospital standards, Airedale staff can inform their bosses of anything they think is affecting performance.

Susan Franks, Airedale's nursing and quality director, told a public meeting: "Staff can be re-assured that they will receive support every time they have a cause to blow the whistle on someone."

Mrs Franks added that most of the new policies brought in by the NHS were nothing new at Airedale.

"It's all the kind of things that we've been doing for many years, but the clinical governance agenda is making us put all these aspects together," she said.

All departments within Airedale NHS Trust have looked at themselves to discover how they could improve, passing on what they find to other departments.

Now hospital bosses are hoping the enthusiasm of staff to learn and make changes will continue well into the future.

"We've improved the sharing of knowledge so that we learn right across the trust," added Mrs Franks.

"I think our staff are very enthusiastic about this and we have to keep the pot boiling and make sure we move forward to success."

Trust associate director Pam Essler said it was important that the on-going results of clinical governance are published in an easy to understand format for patients in order to build confidence within the people of Airedale.

o Hospital staff have been praised for all their hard work in ensuring hospital equipment was working through the first few months of 2000.

Summing up his annual report, Bob Allen, chief executive of Airedale NHS Trust, said the so-called millennium bug had dominated the last 12 months.

"Staff spent a very long time sorting out our equipment so that it would continue to function satisfactorily," he said.

"We also had to prepare for the country going mad around Airedale and placing extra burden on the health service.

"I would like to thank all staff in making sure that our vital service was available when needed."