HOSPITALS in East Lancashire have got a clean bill of health in a survey which criticised filthy toilets, peeling paint, inedible food and smelly wards at other NHS Trusts across Britain.

Blackburn Royal Infirmary scored an average three marks out of a possible four in a survey that checked food, appearance and cleanliness, while Queen's Park Hospital scored top marks.

John Dell, director of operations for the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, said they were very pleased with the report by inspectors from the Patient Environmental Action Team, who visited the Blackburn hospitals last October and have just published their nationwide report.

He said Queen's Park Hospital had scored higher marks because the more modern building was easier to keep looking smart and fresh.

Neither hospital scored bottom marks in any category, but both hospitals were criticised for their visitors' toilets, for which they scored only two marks.

Mr Dell said the toilets were not dirty but were tatty and were being refurbished.

Gadgets have also been installed to puff out scent to keep them smelling sweet.

The inspectors also gave Burnley Health Trust an encouraging report after making a sweep of Burnley General and Rossendale hospitals with an overall rating of three.

Trust director Geoff Summers said: "It was a wide ranging survey, including difficult areas for us such as car parking, so overall, we came out reasonably well. Food, for example, was judged very satisfactory."

He added: "We produced our own Action Plan for areas of improvement and PEAT's findings after the first visit were very much in line with ours, covering the areas in which we are carrying out improvements."

Burnley and Blackburn NHS Trusts received £150,000 last year in the Government's "Clean Up Initiative" under a nationwide £31million package to smarten up hospitals.

The PEAT inspectors will make unannounced visits to both Trusts before the end of February to make sure the hospitals are improving.

Across Britain, fewer than a quarter of hospitals surveyed were given the top grade, and a third were given the lowest grade.

About 5,000 patients die in Britain each year from infections caught after arriving at hospital.

A further 100,000 suffer from illnesses caught on the wards at a cost to the NHS of up to £1billion a year.