NORTH Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust has won a £1m windfall for achieving a maximum three stars in the Government's performance ratings for the second year running.

The trust was, one of only 15 in the country to achieve the top grade for a second year, when the star ratings were announced last month.

The ratings assessed its performance against Government targets in areas such as waiting times, clinical effectiveness, hospital cleanliness, budget management and patient satisfaction.

For the first time, the better performing trusts have been awarded between £250,000 and £1m in capital funding to support further improvements to patient services.

Half the money will be spent on medical equipment in including x-ray machines to test for breast cancer, specialist monitoring equipment to boost children's and gynaecological services and blood monitoring systems for rheumatology patients.

The money will also help establish a medical library and upgrade basic ward equipment, such as beds and blood pressure testing machines.

Discussions are ongoing to determine how the remaining £500,000 will be spent.

Dr Peter Royle, the trust's medical director, said: "The addition of more up-to-date equipment will further enhance the high quality service the trust already provides as well as going some way towards safeguarding our three star status in the coming years."