Bristol Hospitals were awarded zero stars

The Commission for Health Improvement refused to give any stars to 14 trusts.

This compares to 10 last year and 12 in 2001, when the ratings were first published.

However, just two of this year's zero star trusts were also bottom of the class last year.

The remainder have all improved. Four were awarded one star while the other four received two stars.

These were: Bedford Hospitals; Hinchingbrooke Health Care; Portsmouth Hospitals; and South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS trusts.

Big losers

Among the biggest losers this year are: Isle of Wight Healthcare; Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells; North Cumbria Acute Hospitals; Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals; Royal Surrey County; and University Hospitals of Leicester.

Zero star acute trusts Good Hope Hospital Isle of Wight Healthcare Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Milton Keynes General Hospital North Bristol North Cumbria Acute Hospitals Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals Royal Surrey County Hospital Royal United Hospital Bath South Buckinghamshire South Manchester University Hospitals Stoke Mandeville Hospital United Bristol Healthcare University Hospitals Of Leicester Click here to find out how your local trust scored

They all dropped from two stars last year to zero this time around.

Ian Campbell, deputy chief executive at Bedford Hospitals, said staff were delighted with their additional stars.

"Everyone is very pleased. We've known for sometime that we were on course to get two stars," he said.

Alan Bedford, chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals, hailed the trust's progress.

"This will be a big boost for staff and local people," he said.

Graham Nix, acting chief executive of United Bristol Healthcare, which remains on zero stars said staff there were disappointed.

"Staff have worked unstintingly over the last year to improve the performance of the trust against the national targets and I'm disappointed on their behalf that the ratings published today do not fully reflect the enormous progress they've made since last year."