OUR hospitals food has been rated as good and the environment as acceptable, according to a recent report. Tests carried out by the Patient Environment Action Team show the standard of hospital food, cleanliness and the maintenance of patients privacy a

OUR hospitals' food has been rated as good and the environment as acceptable, according to a recent report.

Tests carried out by the Patient Environment Action Team show the standard of hospital food, cleanliness and the maintenance of patients' privacy and dignity are improving at the Lister, QEII and Hertford County hospitals.

The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust has improved on last year's scores of acceptable for food and poor for the environment.

The Trust scored good to excellent for cleaning but maintenance and environment lowered their overall achievement.

A spokesman for the Trust said: "We are very pleased with the result about the food.

"The only thing preventing us from getting a good rating for the environment is the age of the buildings.

"They are harder to keep clean so set the Trust off at a disadvantage."

All three hospitals were also given over 90 per cent for patient privacy and dignity.

The scores were the result of an annual assessment of every in-patient healthcare facility in England with more than 10 beds, using ratings of excellent, good, acceptable, poor and unacceptable.