The Royal Surrey County Hospital achieved zero stars

Brighton and Sussex University NHS Trust lost one star to be given a zero rating, as did the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

For the second year in a row the Royal Surrey County Hospital Trust got zero.

Two trusts achieved three stars in the Healthcare Commission ratings - the Queen Victoria Hospital Foundation Trust and Frimley Park Hospital Trust.

Trust ratings 2004 - 2003 Ashford & St Peters 2 - 2 Brighton & Sussex 0 - 1 East Sussex Hospitals 1 - 2 Frimley Park Hospital 3 - 2 Queen Victoria Hospital 3 - 3 Royal Surrey County Hospital 0 - 0 Royal West Sussex 2 - 2 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare 0 - 1 Worthing and Southlands Hospital 2 - 1

It is the third year in a row the Queen Victoria Hospital has been granted three stars in the ratings.

Each acute and specialist trust is awarded stars based on nine key targets which include inpatient and outpatient waiting times, cleanliness and financial management.

Of the targets, the Brighton and Sussex University Trust achieved six targets but did not reach three, including financial balance and the speed patients go through A&E.

Trust chairman Glynn Jones, said: "The trust has improved the range and quality of patient services in a number of ways this year but these improvements are not recognised by the star ratings.

"The ratings cannot give a complete picture of the quality of patient care provided by the trust nor can they fully reflect the efforts and dedication of our staff."

'Trust transformed'

Sussex and Surrey Healthcare Trust, which is in charge of Crawley and East Surrey hospitals, said rapid improvements in patient services were not reflected in the ratings.

Chief executive Ken Cunningham said: "The trust has been transformed over the last year, with significant improvements in a number of key areas such as waiting times in accident and emergency."

Ambulance trusts are also given ratings with Surrey Ambulance Trust dropping a star to a two rating and Sussex Ambulance Trust staying the same with one star.

Mental health and social care trusts also received ratings and out of six in Sussex in Surrey, five were given two stars except the East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust which was given zero stars.