THE hospital trust which runs Fairfield and North Manchester General Hospitals has been awarded a two star rating, one more than last year.

The assessment by the Health Care Commission found that the Pennine Acute Trust met or beat the national average in 11 out of 12 key targets.

Greater Manchester Ambulance Service has achieved the highest possible rating - its three star mark making it among the best in the country.

The Pennine Acute Trust achieved 11 out of 12 key targets in:

Waiting times

GP referrals

Trolley waits

A and E patients

Improving working lives

Hospital cleanliness

Financial management

Electronic booking for out patients

The trust failed to meet targets in:

Seeing suspected cancer referrals within two weeks

Steven Price, chairman of the trust which also runs hospitals in Oldham and Rochdale, said: "I think that all of our 10,000 staff are due a vote of thanks for their efforts, which directly led to this success. They consistently put patients first, all year round, and it is excellent to see this marked by a rise in our star rating.

"We get thousands of thank-you letters each year, and it is good to see the work which sparks those, being marked by the commission."

Chris Appleby, the trust's chief executive, said: "This is a real achievement by our staff, who have worked hard throughout the year, in the face of great pressures, to deliver real improvements to the patients they serve."

Greater Manchester Ambulance Service (GMAS) NHS Trust has also been celebrating after meeting targets for category A emergency calls, financial management and improving working conditions for its staff. It was also placed in the top performance band nationally in Clinical Focus and Capacity and Capability.

The success comes weeks after GMAS topped a national league of performance for its responses to life threatening emergency calls.

Ambulance staff have also been responding to an increase in calls received and journeys made by crews, - both up by around eight per cent, making it one of the busiest ambulance services in the country.

Alan Stephenson, GMAS NHS Trust chairman, said: "This result is great news for the trust, and underlines the terrific work that is being carried out for the people of Greater Manchester."