DELIGHTED health bosses in Preston are celebrating after NHS watchdogs deemed the town's hospital to be performing well overall and awarded two stars in the latest round of ratings.

Professor Peter Morgan-Capner, medical director for the Chorley and South Ribble and the Preston Acute Hospitals, welcomed the publication of the 2001 Performance Ratings. He said: "We are very pleased that we have merited a two star rating as it confirms that we are meeting the high standards of care demanded by the Department of Health."

He said the agenda set by the NHS Plan was challenging and staff at the hospitals were committed to making further progress in the future to achieve the highest possible three star rating.

He added: "It is very useful for us to have our services assessed externally in this way, as it allows us to compare our performance with trusts of a similar size and also highlights areas of good practice and areas where improvements could be made."

In the last three years the trusts have expanded services, with multi-million pound developments, such as the new renal dialysis units, a new medical ward, increased critical care beds and more radiotherapy equipment for cancer patients.